There are many things to love here in NYC, but an undeniable favorite by most has to be our tap water. Responsible for the city’s glutenous bagels and mouthwatering pizza, NYC tap water is the “secret sauce” to some of our most popular products.
However, you might notice a change in its taste this week!
That’s because NYC has increased the amount of water it’s receiving from the Croton Watershed, reports NBC New York. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is increasing water supply from 12 reservoirs across Westchester and Putnam county as a test (running from March 6th-19th) for when a required repair on the Delaware Aqueduct will shut down the aqueduct for months starting sometime this October.
The Delaware Aqueduct is NYC’s main supply for water, pulling more than half of the city’s drinking water from Catskills reservoirs. And according to the DEP, its 85 miles of distance makes it the world’s longest tunnel!
Leaking sections of the aqueduct were first detected sometime around the 90s. With one section in Newburgh, New York and the other in Wawarsing, New York, the leaks let go of an average of 20 million gallons per day. It wasn’t until 2010 that the city officially announced plans to repair the leaking sections.
Repairs consist of constructing a bypass tunnel around the leaking site in Newburgh. The bypass tunnel will then be connected to an existing portion of the aqueduct.
The existing tunnel will need to be drained before being connected to the new bypass tunnel. It will be the first time the Delaware Aqueduct has been drained since 1958.
NYC’s water supply provides nearly 10 million New Yorkers with 1 billion gallons each day. “[This] complex repair of the Delaware Aqueduct will ensure that we can continue to meet that essential mission for generations to come,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, as shared by NBC New York.