Which New York State department deals substantially with water pollution?

• A. Department of Health
• B. Department of Transportation
• C. Department of Environmental Conservation
• D. Department of Agriculture

Answer: (C)

The department that handles water pollution in New York is the state’s environmental regulator. It concentrates on protecting water resources, setting water quality standards, and controlling pollution through permits, monitoring, and enforcement. This department administers programs for wastewater discharges into rivers and lakes, oversees water-resource management, and leads cleanup of contaminated sites, which is why it deals with water pollution substantially. The Department of Health focuses more on public health and safe drinking water from a health-risk perspective but does not govern the broader regulatory framework for pollution control. Transportation and Agriculture have important responsibilities in their fields, but they are not the primary agencies for regulating and addressing water pollution.