How NYC’s Sewage System Treats 1.3 Billion Gallons Of Wastewater - NYC Revealed

Underneath the ground of New York's fabled streets exists a vast network of pipes that make up the city's sewer system. New Yorkers create, on average, 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater per day that makes its way through these 7,500 miles of pipes.
Join Cheddar & CuriosityStream as we explore the unique histories and modern challenges, defining the future of each of New York City's one-of-a-kind infrastructure systems, in NYC Revealed.
Watch 13 minute versions here on Cheddar's KZbin page. You can also watch the full 24 minute episodes on CuriosityStream and on Cheddar's live network Wednesdays, at 9 p.m.
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[@YoshMaster]

Haha I love that woman! She’s very passionate about doing something most people would never dare to do. People like her are so important to society!!

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

How much does she get paid? I know it's less than men. Women only make 70% of what a man makes.

[@lifesimon9076]

If you love her so much why don’t you marry her

[@YoshMaster]

@@lifesimon9076 because if I married everyone I love I’d be in trouble fast..

[@laurenconrad1799]

I agree!

[@Reefer-Rampage69]

Yes exactly!

[@Itsfish20]

We need more people like this woman, she loves her job and loves the people in the community!

[@LeeeroyJenkins]

Do you love your job? There’s a reason some jobs pay better than others. It’s because people don’t want to do them or waste years of their life learning a difficult job.

[@dwayne7356]

A manager who isn't afraid to get in and get dirty. Where is Mike Rowe?

[@paulsuprono7225]

And she sez - 'because of my profession, your streets, city, community . . . will smell clean' !

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. I'd love my job too If I was paid that much to tell the grunts to go clean up the poop.

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@gilbertgill6613]

Protect Pam at all costs!! We need more important folks like this in society. She sees the bigger picture, and her positive energy is infectious. LOVE it.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

There's a few videos on this problem in London as well. People pour their grease and oils that congeal and mixes with the baby wipes to form these massive chunks that clog up the system. The only way to deal with them is to manually break them apart and move them down stream. The investigator was down there doing a story and was dry heaving at the smell when they broke apart. There's also human waste mixed in with it and when air hits it...

[@knightwolf3511]

i was also confused when they said borough even though thats still same as a town, no one uses that other then england

[@yo-wh7ty]

that is so disgusting oh god

[@ironhell813]

You guys need to stop using the damn wipes.

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

@@ironhell813 Not going to happen. The problem is that you're suggestion is spot on, and makes a ton of sense. This is fucking up our sewer, stop doing it. However, once you have wiped with wet wipes, there's no going back. That clean, slick feeling is just too good. It would be like saying jets use too much fuel, get rid of them and go back to prop planes. The ONLY solution is to install grinder stations to liquify the solids so it flows properly. Problem solved

[@reecetaylor2626]

​@@valuedhumanoid6574yeah, those dont work as well as you think

[@FackAttack]

Pam could host a whole Cheddar series on wastewater treatment/sanitation/clean water/etc. and I’d watch every episode, she’s awesome!

[@pamelaelardo428]

thanks!

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. For 228,150$ a year Id hope so!

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@mastercreamer1398]

I always would take a dump in the water tank part of the toilet instead of toilet bowl when I was at a house party. Called it “top loading” 😂😂

[@HitomiMudo]

@@williamwinstrop3918 It sounds like you have a stick somewhere where the sun doesn't shine if you are angry over someone being paid their worth. Get over it!

[@masteroptics7213]

That's a lot of crap! I love how enthusiastic she is about waste. Dedication right there to her work.

[@cheddar]

She was quite the character!

[@zardozmyrh7789]

Norton would be proud rest in peace Art Carney

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. What you are seeing is not dedication. You are seeing a lady who is paid way to much, and does not need to perform any of these tasks ever. She tells the people being paid under 20$ an hour to go scrape the poop.

[@Tarsibu]

She's definitely seen a lot of shit *Badum TSS* I'll be seeing myself out now

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@b7shoota]

i love this womans energy!! such a pure soul. she should win employee of the decade lol. she should have her own tv show

[@Evelyn-mf1yn]

Oh my god her “Nasty!!!” At 4:38 got me rolling 😂😂

[@kvngjxyy6609]

Exodus 20:7 King James Version 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

[@Twiggy163]

If you're wondering about the benefits of a separate sewer system: Not only does it prevent overflow, like the video mentions, it also makes the treatment plants work more efficient because the pollution is far more concentrated and not diluted by rainwater. It also prevents sewege from coming up to street level during a rainstorm and flooding buildings with... well, shit. The downside of a separate sewer system is that it takes up a lot more space in the underground. It's fine if the streets are wide but in neighbourhoods with narrow streets, I absolutely hate separate sewer systems when designing new pipeline routes. Power cables, gas lines, drinking water (transport and distribution), data cables, 2 sewege systems, sometimes a drain to manage ground water levels and district heating pipes. Its a lot to put into the ground.

[@joeygenna4801]

Honest to god I thought he was like: a revolutionary idea: using a different sewage system

[@Lucas_andos]

In australia (Well, the south east queensland water services) our stormwater and severys are completly separated, Thats why on all of our drains it says "dont dump, flows to river" Very helpful dusring storm season.

[@Twiggy163]

@@joeygenna4801 I can still do that if you like?

[@smith22041]

What about trash on the street washed into storm drains, in a separate system is that line at least treated to some degree?

[@codycast]

You mean you hate designing pipeline routes in simcity?

[@Tabbithakitten]

I wish we had more public outreach about what cannot be recycling and "flushable" wipes. A lot of people don't know.

[@orangeradishneo]

I genuinely don't know how someone can get to adulthood and not find this out, and I'm not trying to be rude. I personally don't recall/currently know of any public outreach here in Canada for this stuff, other than videos like these (that i've only personally noticed as an adult). It just seems like one of those commonly understood things you learn in childhood. There was an episode of Adam Ruins Everything a few years ago that covered this, and at the time I noticed a lot of people when discussing the episode/topic were admitting to flushing wipes, and even tampons! All aside from the "flushable wipes" - the name is completely misleading and these companies shouldn't use that term.

[@Tabbithakitten]

@@orangeradishneo To be clear: I did know this before this video. But seeing the results is so much more informative. I think the "flushable wipes" is 99% of the problem. But I believe in Toronto I've seen public outreach about this issue overall.

[@ttopero]

This is a bane of marketing! Our fear-driven hygienic society is very vulnerable to marketing messages that are easy or desirable to believe but have dark sides lurking around them!

[@koilamaoh4238]

Just put the wipes in another receptacle.. Sheesh. Easy to make toilet paper into flushable wipes to, not that hard.. And get a bidet, does wonders for a clean booty. aLSO these wipes can ruin your plumbing system in ones home if they don't watch what they are doing. Expensive to repair in the long run.

[@TheBooban]

@@koilamaoh4238 they will stink if you don’t flush it! But I don’t understand why they are better than tp. Its women who use it. Why?

[@MarvelousYoUnAstro]

Aside from the passion for her job... we need people like this everywhere in general! I studied a cross contamination class once, what I learned there in detail no one outside of that class would have taught me. That class can help you understand how important it is to collaborate to keep things clean and safe. This planet is crying for a little collaboration... we seem not to get it. It might be because we know we are only here once and creating a who cares mentally, selfishly living like let the next generation handle it... I try to contribute every day by creating less garbage at home and using my electric powered equipment, knowing that it's a very small part and wishing everyone worldwide could do theirs!

[@theymusthatetesla3186]

This was FASCINATING! ....and that Lady was great....seems to genuinely enjoy her job!

[@evy2031]

As Adam Conover once said, “flushable” wipes are as flushable as “flushable” golf balls

[@chuckbrotton2449]

Actually, worse. Golf balls don't clump together into massive blobs

[@gerardmontgomery280]

Yeah I work in waste water in England. Our pumps hate anything tougher than toilet paper. These "flushables" are just rag and rag plus fat means a blockage.

[@southaussiegarbo2054]

@@gerardmontgomery280 you get adult toys t

[@carultch]

What standards are there, that even allow manufacturers to call them flushable? And is it really that hard to put them in the trash bin, instead of down the drain?

[@gerardmontgomery280]

@@southaussiegarbo2054 I've seen plenty of Jonnys but no actual toys. We did recentally take a life sized minion stuffed toy out of the inlet to the works recently though

[@matthewknutsen6939]

I took a class in hydraulics a few years ago and it really is remarkable how much NYC waterways have improved over the past 30 or 40 years. Wouldn’t quite call the east or Hudson rivers, or the narrows clear yet, but they’re a lot cleaner than their were in the 70’s or 80’s It’s a shame people know about all the environment problems in the world, but we never hear about things that are improving

[@John77Doe]

🤢🤮

[@MrRevolverkiller]

It doesn’t catch on fire anymore does it?

[@9volt65]

It also doesn't help that people assume NYC is a huge trash pit and don't seem to acknowledge anything good that comes from it. It's really painful to live here your entire life and have to deal with people assuming that you and the city you love are a huge burning garbage-fire, when we have systems like this in place to improve.

[@spacebound1969]

@@9volt65 It kind of is tho.

[@nonyafkinbznes1420]

@@9volt65 It is though, a festering garbage dump with trash, litter and human waste all over the place. What's ironic is it's full of nitwits who want to lecture the rest of the world on environmentalism.

[@FlowcastYT]

I work in the trades and I gotta say it's extremely rare to find a woman willing to do what she did. Props to her!

[@deadeye5155]

Wook

[@CowSaysMooMoo]

You mean "poops to her." 😅😂🙂😁😆

[@joerecordsNYC]

She was the Deputy Commissioner. She didn’t actually work in the plant.

[@CelestialTrailblazer]

Very few people would refuse a 6 figure job.

[@nonadaze]

her energy my god. she loves her job.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

The underground sewer systems of new York and Chicago are some of the craziest things I've ever seen. The amount of effort that went into the infrastructure of the water ways is INSANE.

[@timmmahhhh]

Yeah Chicago's big dig to put in the massive tunnel, I believe under the river, made the news during construction.

[@phantom-xb6wv]

looks like they predicted americans would shit alot eating all those hamburgers

[@mastercreamer1398]

I always would take a dump in the water tank part of the toilet instead of toilet bowl when I was at a house party. Called it “top loading” 😂😂

[@BoobieTubes]

@@mastercreamer1398 aka an upper decker

[@mastercreamer1398]

@@phantom-xb6wv you keep your mouth shut when your talking to me sir!

[@RichardBaran]

This lady is great. She seems so happy about her job.

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. That is why.

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@whatname8952]

@@williamwinstrop3918 good for her.

[@RichardBaran]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Wait. You can't love what you do be happy, and have a good salary? Makes no sense. You can have her love for life with or without money.

[@entertainme7523]

she does?

[@hobi8860]

I work in a water and waste water organisation and I love my job. Genuinely, the provision of clean drinking water and the collection and treatment of waste water are two of the most essential processes for life. Thankfully most people don’t experience service issues or failure and thus take these for granted. The engineering and science involved is incredible. Absolutely great places to work, a career for life - it’s always going to be needed. Ps you get used to the smell!

[@rieniekramer1912]

This lady is so nice in explaining how it all works ... bless you ... need more of your type😇

[@astr0nox]

I love how genuinely passionate the deputy commissioner is about her job!

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. Wouldn't you be for that kind of pay?

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@alexandermarquardt597]

​@@williamwinstrop3918 That is completely beside the point. If you are at the head of a large organization you make money, that's perfectly fine. If you do your job, that's fine. If you are GOOD at your job and care about it, THAT'S what's laudable. Only losers think making money is a problem

[@mastercreamer1398]

I always would take a dump in the water tank part of the toilet instead of toilet bowl when I was at a house party. Called it “top loading” 😂😂

[@southsidesaiyan8641]

@@mastercreamer1398 shut up

[@Bbykns]

I feel like these workers need a lot more PPE than a basic mask and gloves to be dealing with a cities sewage

[@candy2325]

I agree. Need a whole suit or something lol

[@gingercashcat]

yup!!

[@mauricemotors8207]

@@candy2325 I work for the city of Houston fleet and I’ve been to a waste water plant to jump off a truck that has a big vacuum to unclog pipes and it’s nasty beyond BELIEF

[@leinadalan]

Its 99.9% water. Most who work around sewage get vaccinated for hep a and b. I did.

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

Yeah they need a robot to do that shit

[@susansempf5709]

Thanks for all you do wherever you are involved with this job.

[@user-uv9rl1cn4v]

As an operator to a wastewater treatment plant I can tell you that at the of the day it feels nice when you have cleaned the water and you have gained energy as biogas

[@Justanotherfuckingobserver]

This is the comment I was looking for, I saw a video a couple of years ago about a country that uses waste to create biofuel and they run their city's bus system on it and I was like "why are we not funding this!!!"

[@Noahloveless1]

@@Justanotherfuckingobserver Its how we power the plant and the boilers for the digesters.

[@CelestialTrailblazer]

What's your job salary ? How do you get this job ?

[@dogbog99]

She’s a living legend, respect to her

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. Don't worry shes being paid for her "Living Legend" status.

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@andrewdaley3081]

@@williamwinstrop3918 no wonder she's so fucking happy. 🇬🇧👍

[@Leon-sk6dk]

@@williamwinstrop3918 I’m doxxing you.

[@joey8033]

This is a very very well put documentary, I really love it and that woman really loves her job. And I want to say something without sounding like "that guy on the internet" but who else noticed the quality of this video? I mean it was made in partnership with a real life broadcaster with resources and made with professionalism in mind, notice the narrator had such a professional and intelligible voice? That's something that's missing in youtube voices today and it's sad. Amazing video btw ❤️🎉

[@lizardfishmanbearpig1818]

After traveling to India i have so much respect for what these people do in NYC, smaller town across the US, and even individuals who install a septic system on their property. Every city smells like raw sewage there. Every body of “water” that you get close to makes you gag. Even on the trains they dump the raw sewage directly onto the tracks. Never get close to the window on an indian train. You will feel a light mist that feels refreshing until you realize what it is.

[@Fido-vm9zi]

US has so many infrastructure systems in place while some countries lack systems. Are they perfect? No. In some areas of the world sewer and garbage are just discarded in water or immediate environment. Hope things change. Believe they are & will.

[@perpecedecelequex]

My dad works for DEP, they don't usually get a lot of recognition so it's great to see a video about them :)

[@IronIsKing]

Thought it said EDP for a sec

[@entertainme7523]

didn't ask

[@user-golos]

@@entertainme7523 i did 😃

[@ShyVioletIsShy]

I had a field trip to the sewage treatment plant in 4th grade. It was fascinating. AND REALLY STINKY. We were learning about Tertiary Treatment plants, hydroelectricity, and the water table. Seeing the intake tubes was nauseating... we were all laughing at the "balloons" that had gotten stuck at the bottom of the rakes. (Hindsight, eh?) We also got to go to the reservoirs, see the fluorination plants, even underneath the Merrimack river hydroelectric dam with a fish ladder in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was simultaneous the coolest and the WORST field trip ever.

[@Undecided0]

That's one field trip I would have skipped.

[@timmmahhhh]

My local plant had a tour about three years ago and odors weren't too bad. Perhaps treatment methods have improved over time or my facility was more modern? It was really informative excellent tour. Then again I was in my 50s and likely appreciated it more than I might have as a fourth grader.

[@John77Doe]

🤢🤮

[@tekesters]

Man you remember 4th grade like it was yesterday while I'm having trouble remembering if I turned all the lights off today!

[@John77Doe]

@@tekesters 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@cempe8312]

i adore that woman energy, the world need more people like her! i wonder hows the sewage system in my country or town, i hope it can be as good as nyc has. hope there are many innovations for the rainy season

[@kalmage136]

I salute & appreciate & am grateful to those who work in this field.

[@bender4769]

Seriously this woman made the whole video. I remember going to a sewage treatment center in my town for a field trip when I was younger. If this woman was giving the presentation I would probably be working there now!

[@eternitykentucky6935]

Lol I went to sewage treatment center on field trip in Elementary school. That's the day I realized we drink 💩 water that's been recycled. So now I only drink bottle water 🤣 🤣

[@johnostout]

@@eternitykentucky6935 Id guess most of your bottled water is just from a culinary source. Good luck getting away from it.

[@eternitykentucky6935]

@@johnostout lol I bet the bottled water , is just bottled 💩 water.. makes me feel like it's better if it's not coming from the tap. 😂

[@isaiah1931]

Shoutout to the water resource and environmental engineers who created these systems. It’s crazy to think how much humans can accomplish. That being said hopefully NYC can fix the overflow issue.

[@QAlba1074]

Humans can accomplish a lot of sh!t.

[@monoXcide01]

5:56 "Watch your step" is a funny thing to say at a sewage treatment plant lol

[@Kimberly-wt1nu]

Clorox got a bad rap in this video. They don't even produce a "flushable" wipe.

[@ShyVioletIsShy]

Clorox wipes have always been awful for the environment, and some dinguses love to throw them in the toilet when they're done! Get a waste basket, yall.

[@tookitogo]

@@ShyVioletIsShy You missed Kimberly’s point entirely (she’s absolutely right by the way): the problem isn’t people flushing Clorox wipes. The problem is the “flushable” *toilet paper* wipes, which the manufacturers continue to call “flushable” even though they are not. Clorox wipes do not claim to be flushable.

[@Kimberly-wt1nu]

@@tookitogo thank you! some dingus missed the point. LoL

[@brandonsmith3060]

Another reason why education must be part of the infrastructure funding…Without funding to develop the future trades and MEP people, who’s going to keep the system running?…It’s not robots.

[@jessicachanae9977]

I agree.

[@-2high2fly-]

There's a little cut with benches right next to the woodtown creek plant right near a tv cable company building that I used to go to get away from all the people and commotion of the city. Never smelled from the plant or anything either, just a nice little getaway

[@meisha89ify]

I appreciate her. Everyone in this world plays a part to make our lives as easy and normal as possible. We thank you

[@KaliKali-hv9bt]

🎉 Exactly. Agreed😊

[@ubermut1379]

I love how passionately and accessibly the woman in this video explains everything! I was a bit sad that the video didn't show more of her explanations because this whole topic is very fascinating. I would be really interested in what her policy recommendations and wishes for the city to improve their sewage system would be.

[@JustDoinFlorida]

I love videos about sewer systems so much for some reason. Maybe because I'm a fisherman and it's just cool to see the advances we're making to get our water as clean as possible so our environment remains healthy.

[@worldofwastewater]

Awesome video!!! Thanks for highlighting this hidden gem of an industry. Wastewater is a great career choice for anyone interested!

[@joebledsoe257]

Such a thankless job that not many folks will do. Thanks!!

[@spectro4428]

That's a insane amount of wastewater, quite interesting to see how it looks!

[@IronIsKing]

Hearted, nice

[@edge2science]

A county executive once said, "this is the most primordial need of a metro community, yet absolutely invisible and seamless to its end users". What're *real people*, civil servants maintain this service for the multitudes.

[@thisischris5351]

Awwww, PAM! 🙈 she was so freaking awesome. I loved her humor, her mind, her gestures, her attitude.. she’s a really awesome person.

[@nelsonpun]

No matter what the profession there is always someone out there that is passionate about it. Never ceases to amaze me.

[@monke2823]

I love how cool that lady is about her job, we need more people like that

[@Sumanitu]

I dont understand why the sale of flushable wipes just aren't outlawed by cities. Heck they outlawed disposable plastic bags in my city, but flushable wipes are still at the grocery store

[@Ryan2022]

Oh god Shut up

[@valmal2659]

So you don’t wash your bum properly because if you use just tissue then yuck 🤢

[@sylviarohge4204]

@@valmal2659 With toilet paper we also get our asses clean. Apparently some are too inept even for this simple task. The wipes degrade in sewage treatment plants, but they take 7 days or more to do so. The problem that arises from this is that the waste water takes about 24 hours to be clarified. However, the cloths are not degraded within 1/7 of the time, which is why they have to be removed beforehand.

[@madelynmelchert6850]

Fantastic video, love the optimism.

[@BradfordGuy]

That woman is a true keeper! Very smart and passionate, happy with what she does, and is truly concerned about the wellbeing of the city she serves. Only flush products labeled as "septic safe." Flushable does not mean biodegradable. If you cannot easily pull it apart don't do it!

[@caesar3909]

the sewerage system is one of mankind's greatest but often overlooked inventions. People are so use to it that they don't understand the mayhem that would unfold if it were to become compromised for a long-term period of time.

[@kaymish6178]

From the late 90's to early 00's the area of the city I live in did a storm water sewage separation program. The city dug up all the sewer pipes and replaced them with pipes that did just waste water and diverted all the storm water into new pipes to flow into the rivers and streams or made new streams. The water quality in the one discharge river improved markedly so we don't get swimming bans so much any more. But now there is a new kind of heavy metal and rubber pollution going into the waterways because of all the cars and especially heavy trucks, so now there's a ban on gathering food from the waterways around the city because the cars have made it too toxic.

[@GTF85]

The brake dust off cars is a big one

[@joenuts5167]

Cars suck

[@nonyafkinbznes1420]

@@joenuts5167 Cars bad, but not the trucks the deliver my consoomer items from Amazon! 😂

[@onekerri1]

@@joenuts5167 No, you do.

[@curtisleeyork1978]

I have a ranch with 2 natural wells. Sometimes guests say they dont like my water. If only they knew how dirty their water is compared to mine lol. Straight from the ground. Gods purest water. Nothing added, nothing taken. perfect

[@xXDESTINYMBXx]

Did you ever test the water quality of your Wells?

[@madabouthollyoaks411]

haven't heard this kind of voice since the days of watching documentaries in middle school,m love the nostalgia!

[@Nan-59]

Idk why someone hasn't legislated to have "flushable" wipes deemed NOT FLUSHABLE. Because this is disgusting! 🤢 🤮

[@TheLoos3Goos33]

$$$

[@sudeshramdhanie6216]

There needs to be a surcharge on those products because of the problems they create and then maybe people will buy and use them less

[@sudeshramdhanie6216]

Also by implementing a 5 cent refundable surcharge on ALL plastic containers from Chinese plastic containers to plastic spoons will help the homeless population and solve a tremendous load on the storm drain runoff.

[@mastercreamer1398]

I always would take a dump in the water tank part of the toilet instead of toilet bowl when I was at a house party. Called it “top loading” 😂😂

[@thatoneguy5512]

One of thoes pipes recycle the sewage water into your everyday day sink water.

[@michaelfrench3396]

I'm super glad people like that woman exist in the world. If they didn't we wouldn't be able to live like we do. And the fact that she's got such an amazingly upbeat attitude just shows how much good that she knows she's doing for her city.

[@SophieSophia-nm3vs]

That lady is very charismatic, she just makes you feel happy, Love her❤️🌹

[@gravityimage5]

I love her passion, I see everyone else did too. Its Important to have meaningful people that make a difference.

[@beardedboon]

To think of the smell 90% of people couldnt breathe in those buildings What a great person!! I admire her and all in the waste industry!

[@chrisbomb5740]

5:11 I am somehow scared someone was able to flush a full Mountain Dew bottle

[@coreys7219]

Either a connected storm drain or a manhole. Once I pulled an oldsmobile hubcap from the car screen at my previous treatment plant.

[@jan-philippklein3593]

she just takes so much pride in her job its amazing

[@Michael-ie5pm]

Thank you and God Bless all who do this service 🙏🏼❤️🙌🏼✝️

[@kirankumarsukumar]

We should respect the people working in these places and follow what they say in all our homes. When the machines in these places stops working all hell breaks loose

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. Nah fuck that, for that kind of salary I'm going to start flushing concrete powder.

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@Penguinmanereikel]

First episode about the sanitation system, third about the sewage system This show has been great to watch during lunch!

[@kamak24]

The woman wins everything I Love people like her ! She makes cleaning waters a very special task and exciting too ! God bless her !!❤️

[@MarkSentMe]

I LOVE how they capture the gas that comes from those digesters. I wish all communities would do that. It's a sustainable and renewable resource.

[@edimalan14]

She’s got such a personality it’s awesome!

[@nico_gg_8863]

great show format! content like this is extremely important to create awareness on people =)

[@curiodyssey3867]

On people? Lmao

[@nandipandlovu9397]

She really does love what she does, I got really excited watching and learning how the system works. I also want to be more conscious about what I flush and how I treat my wastewater.

[@qwerasdfjkl1990]

love her enthusiasm!

[@zanewonderly9690]

Im 15 and worked as a grounds keeper for my boroughs wastewater plant. I learned so much and a fun fact about wastewater plants is, they usaly dont smell bad at all. They filter and use so many microbes to get rid of the stink. I was standing over 4.6 million gallons of raw sewage and it smelled cleaner than the water that was at my house. And at least where i worked the “finals” we called them (last cleaning process before going to the river) and we could literaly drink it out of the tank. The water that we put into the river was cleaner than the river water.

[@no.6522]

The way she talk about her responsibilities shows how proud she is of the progress. She is a REAL New York Hero!

[@georgesadler7830]

Thank you for the video.

[@tridentgum63]

This woman is amazing. Her humor her work ethic. She's awesome!

[@mykalimba]

Pam is the best! What a textbook example of someone who is clearly excited about their job. I'd take a job at that plant, but only if she was my boss! Also, early NYC residents went 150-250 years without a fully working sewer system?! Wow.

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. She better be a good boss for that pay.

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@MikeBaxterABC]

5:20 I worked in maintenance at a paper recycler, at least once a year employees would find money! :) The owner was hands on (his son walked the factory floor and shoveled sludge if need be) They had a strict policy, you find it you keep it! :) ,, the biggest haul was $500 US, fell out of a conveyer, over a hour or two. They figure ppl put money in magazines and someone tosses the magazines in the recycle box

[@darrenedwards6705]

Good work on this one...to the workers..

[@user-li7se1fp1t]

This is very informative and insightful!

[@randallaverty4514]

There is a new option now with porous concrete and asphalt that eliminates the need for storm sewer. Partial implementation should produce limited relief for a troubled system that would be hard to upgrade such as NYC

[@kaitlyn__L]

Not quite, the porous roadway still has to lead _somewhere,_ it can’t drain into the water table directly indefinitely. Those porous roadways usually still do have piping. Plus they are much less strong than regular roadways so can’t simply be drop-in replacements, they’re basically a totally different civil engineering material with different support requirements, and need the road redesigned to greater or lesser degree. It could help be an inlet to a storm sewer, instead of grates things can fall down, but it won’t solve storm surges by itself.

[@dalva91]

Love the drive and way this woman sees her job and all she does. Don’t live in New York but thanks for what you do!

[@jeremynolan9294]

So happy to see someone so happy about the job

[@StephenRozas]

IM FLUSHING EVERYTHING NOW!!

[@gothnate]

I'm surprised you didn't talk about the "Great Flushing" of 1983 in this. After the final episode of M*A*S*H* aired, over a million New Yorkers went to the bathroom at the same time, adding about 6.7 million gallons of water in the sewer system within a 30 minute period. Could you imagine what would have happened if it was a rainy day that day?

[@equaloskat]

Woah!! Super cool fact ty for sharing

[@equarg]

😅 That sounds terrifying. If I recall, a bigger episode was an episode of DALLAS where the killer of a really disliked character was revealed. Even without the internet and twitter EVERYONE was wondering who done it. Gossip and bets ensued for a week.

[@storytimewithunclebill1998]

That is a lot of waste and water a day. Totally amazing. If that was to fail it would be a catastrophe fast. Seems that women loves her job and what she does for her people. Got a new subscriber. Very informative and interesting to watch. Great video

[@caluschter]

Thnx Pam!

[@Roaryer]

Love watching people that love their work

[@Tony-cp6vu]

I absolutely love this series and all the heros of NYC that we wouldn't learn about otherwise

[@DarkVoidIII]

Is the old sewer system being upgraded whenever possible to use the newer separated sewer system? If they're not doing that, it's not going to get any easier on them. While it might seem like a massive undertaking, every outlet that gets connected to a separated sewer system will benefit not only the sewage treatment plants, but also will help reduce the environmental impact raw sewage spillage has on the environment when it overflows.

[@anthonywhite3502]

LOL @ 3:24. I’m surprised that 5-second clip hasn’t turned into a meme and gone viral. 😂

[@beautybok7898]

Successful people don't become that way overnight.most people you see as a glance-wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life..

[@charlottegrace5695]

You're right ma'am

[@mariacari4646]

@@charlottegrace5695 Most people don't invest due to ignorance.

[@ljanray4770]

@@mariacari4646 People are scared of invest because of high rate of scammers on the market.. ..

[@hredifjouan3262]

@@ljanray4770 Talking of being successful!l think that am blessed because if not I wouldn't have met someone who is as spectacular as Mrs Bonnie Berville..... ....

[@celiagybe9186]

@@hredifjouan3262 She helped me recover all that lost trying to trade for my self.... ....

[@russelljames5631]

I’ve worked in almost every waste water treatment plant and let me just say the smell is unlike anything you’ve ever smelled.

[@jrob4795]

Do you go nose blind at some point, or is it something you just have to power through?

[@cheesetomeetyou]

I remember being at a pig slaughtering factory once. I wonder how the smell compares.

[@russelljames5631]

@@jrob4795 gotta power through it especially being union your held to a higher standard

[@jrob4795]

@@russelljames5631 That sucks.

[@russelljames5631]

@@jrob4795 the amount of money I make makes up for it.

[@jinnie6292]

Great video! I had a blast watching this while having my dinner 🥰

[@Muhwoouwuowowoofies]

aw cute :3

[@megaflux7144]

thanks for educating

[@uli_zizalove]

I am a staff of WWTP too ! and I like this lady spirit ❤ " It's amazing"

[@tomschmidt381]

I love the interview with the treatment plant manager, she was awesome.

[@williamwinstrop3918]

Pamela Elardo A in 2020 was employed in Environment Protection, Department of and had annual salary of $228,150 according to public records. She better be for that kind of money

[@Jonathan-Pilkington]

@@williamwinstrop3918 Are you poor or why do you keep copy & pasting her salary?

[@ms_cartographer]

You keep saying that this plant manager doesn't deserve her current salary. Yet, you probably have no problem with CEOs making millions while their enployees starve.

[@nonyafkinbznes1420]

@@ms_cartographer 20 billion gallons of untreated sewage are being discharged into NYC waters every year. And in typical government fashion she passes all the blame on to her customers. In the private sector she would be fired.

[@jeffw8218]

Kind of ridiculous that "flushable wipes" are still called that, when it's CLEAR AS CRYSTAL that they're not flushable. That is false-advertising.

[@NiGGaZtcz]

people with passion are truly a treasure to our society

[@samuelruiz7377]

Yup always follow those four I've seen what happens when it clogs up your septic and I wouldn't want to be cleaning up those wipes

[@ttopero]

I’m wondering if there’s any attempts to clean the water from the overflow bodies when capacity is available. Seems like something that would be helpful. 40x a year is a staggering frequency for the volume!

[@azmrblack]

Many areas have started digging deep underground tunnels that store the stormwater from the combined system and then pump it to the plant when flows decrease.

[@rhyagelle]

This lady really loves her job! Gotta respect that! If it were for her and people like her, we'd have a very terrible problem with our waste.