No tap water taste in New York? Reserve reservoir activated for two-week test

Don’t be alarmed if the taste of tap water in New York changes a little in the next two weeks, everything is according to plan.

Starting Monday, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection will increase the amount of water coming from the Croton watershed: a cluster of 12 reservoirs located in Westchester and Putnam counties.

Officials said increasing the amount of water from the watershed needed to supply the city with water could result in a slight difference in the taste of what comes out of the tap due to differences between tank systems.

The change is part of preparations for a Delaware Aqueduct repair later this year.

The Delaware Aqueduct, the world’s longest tunnel, according to DEP, is closing for two weeks in March (6-19) as part of a planned test before closing for several months in October. During this time, the necessary repairs will be carried out.

The DEP, which manages the city’s water supply, said the city has approved $1 billion to connect a 2.5-mile bypass tunnel around known aqueduct leaks first discovered years ago. The renovation project was approved in 2010.

“Nearly 10 million New Yorkers rely on us to provide them with high-quality water every single day of the year, and this complex renovation of the Delaware Aqueduct ensures that we can continue to fulfill this important mission for generations to come. said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala.

The aqueduct is 85 miles long and supplies about half of the city’s water supply from four reservoirs in the Catskills.

Hundreds of feet below the Hudson River, the new bypass will be the first tunnel built under the river since 1957.