$2B Delaware Aqueduct Repair Brings Upstate Water Supply Adjustments

By Mrs. I. Perl

The Department of Environmental Protection is launching its Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project, a $2 billion project to repair the aqueduct in order to provide New Yorkers with the best drinking water. 

Mayor Adams and the NYC DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala announced the launch of this project, which has been in planning stages for more than two decades. The repaired aqueduct will prevent 35 million gallons of water from leaking into the ground every day in upstate New York, ensuring that adequate water gets to the city. 

“New York City’s tap water is the envy of the world — it’s why we have the best pizza and bagels in the country,” Mayor Adams said. “Today, we’re kicking off the final phase of a 11-year project to secure the future of our water supply and make sure that New Yorkers can continue to enjoy the billion gallons of drinking water we use every day. In order to fix the 35-million gallon per day leaks in the Delaware Aqueduct, we’ve built a 2.5-mile bypass tunnel, and over the course of the next several months, we’re going to connect that bypass tunnel to the main aqueduct as part of the largest repair project in DEP’s history. Some New Yorkers’ water might taste or smell slightly different for a few months while we complete this project as their water comes from a different reservoir, but New Yorkers should know it will still be perfectly safe to drink.”