New York’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced a $1.2bn tunnelling project, designed to improve the water supply for 9 million people in New York City and Westchester County.
The DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing one billion gallons of water each day to 9.6 million New Yorkers.
The project will be New York City’s largest water-supply tunnelling job in Westchester County, which borders the city to the north, since the 1940s.
The centrepiece of the project will be the Kensico-Eastview Connection, a 3.2km tunnel between the Kensico Reservoir and the Catskill-Delaware Ultraviolet Light Disinfection Facility in Eastview.
The aqueduct will allow the DEP to remove parts of the project for maintenance and inspection. It will be 400-500m below ground and be capable of transporting 2.6 billion gallons of water each day.
In addition to the work at Kensico, the DEP will also build a connection chamber at the ultraviolet plant to receive water from the new tunnel.
Work at the site will also include a number of projects including drainage, stormwater and utility improvements.
Tom Abinanti, state assembly member, said: "Clean drinking water is the lifeblood of our communities; we must modernise our systems to ensure that high-quality drinking water continues to flow when we turn on the tap."
Construction on the project is due to start in 2023.
Image: The Kensico Reservoir (Wikimedia Commons)
