The City of Auburn, the Town of Owasco, and the Owasco Watershed Lake Association are suing New York’s Department of Health over its refusal to update watershed rules for Owasco Lake.
Filed in Cayuga County Supreme Court, the lawsuit claims the department lacked justification for its decision and abandoned its long-held stance on the need for updated regulations. The plaintiffs aim to overturn the decision and prompt new rules. Concerns about Owasco Lake’s water quality have grown since 2016 when harmful algal toxins were found in the drinking water.
Though the state-funded $2 million for filtration systems as a stopgap, the lake’s watershed rules haven’t been updated since 1984.
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