About
Our Mission
Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (SWIM) Coalition is a coalition dedicated to ensuring swimmable and fishable waters around New York City through natural, sustainable stormwater management practices, both green and grey infrastructure, in our neighborhoods.
We strive to:
Rectify historic injustices and inequitable burdens from water quality polluting infrastructures, through the collective visioning of clean water policies that provide Just Transitions to regenerative systems, including green infrastructure, that adapt to climate change and sea level rise; and
Create the opportunity for the use of New York City’s waters and waterfront for social, educational, and economic benefit of its residents, including environmental justice communities.
Our vision is swimmable and fishable waters for all New Yorkers.
Our Goals
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Facilitate the implementation of sewage and stormwater runoff pollution reduction/prevention policies, plans, and other strategies to achieve clean, healthy, fishable and swimmable water quality in New York City and the NY Harbor.
​​Support and advance integrated watershed management strategies for NY Harbor—inclusive of nature-based and green infrastructure solutions—that are sustainable, climate change resilient, and just/equitable in their implementation.
Grow and strengthen a diverse and inclusive New York City/Harbor-wide coalition of community and water-body- based advocates and stakeholders to elevate and connect local priorities with network-wide responses
How We Work
SWIM affects change through policy, education, outreach, and monitoring. We ensure timely dissemination of important water-quality-related information to members and waterway stakeholders through our website and communications, review and analyze complex legal documents and processes, create easy-to-understand digests and fact sheets, and meet with waterway stewards and policymakers regarding sustainable water -quality improvement practices and policies.
Through our public meetings and community workshops, we provide a city-wide forum for New Yorkers to share their stories, information, and concerns regarding our local waterways. We also host academic, arts, and civic organizations, invited guest speakers, and government agencies to present new programs and initiatives at our quarterly public meetings.
Our History
SWIM Coalition was borne out of a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) convened by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 2004 for the development of a Waterbody/ Watershed Plan and the 2006 Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Consent Order.
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The advisory committee, made up of civic groups, community organizations, citywide, regional and national non-profits, and academic institutions, met regularly until mid-2006 when the City met a major milestone in the CSO Consent Order. Many members of the CAC expressed an interest in continuing to come together to advocate for green infrastructure; thus the Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (SWIM) Coalition was officially launched on World Water Day, 2007.
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Since then, SWIM has been instrumental in advancing NYC’s sustainable stormwater and green infrastructure planning and policy. Through our multi-tiered advocacy platform, we have represented our members’ interests with DEP, the Mayor’s Offices of Sustainability and Recovery & Resiliency, City Council, the State Legislature, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and others. Several Coalition members currently serve on DEP’s Water Infrastructure Steering Committee.
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SWIM Coalition operates with a steering committee of practicing professionals, whose members represent various organizations and a wide range of expertise. Daily operations are supported by the SWIM Program Manager, graduate fellows from Pratt Institute, and others.