A stretch of aqueduct that supplies about half of New York City’s water is being shut down through the winter as part of a $2 billion project to address massive leaks beneath the Hudson River.
The temporary shutdown of the Delaware Aqueduct in upstate New York has been in the works for years, with officials steadily boosting capacity from other parts of the city’s sprawling 19-reservoir system. Water will flow uninterrupted from city faucets after the shutdown begins this week, officials said, though its famously crisp taste might be affected as other sources are tapped into more heavily.
“The water will alway be there,” Paul Rush, deputy commissioner for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. “We’re going to be changing the mix of water that consumers get.”
The Delaware Aqueduct is the longest tunnel in the world and carries water for 85 miles (137 kilometers) from four reservoirs in the Catskill region to other reservoirs in the city’s northern suburbs. Operating since 1944, it provides roughly half of the 1.1 billion gallons (4.2 billion liters) a day used by more than 8 million New York City residents. The system also serves some upstate municipalities.