New York City Watershed
In 1995, New York City, the upstate communities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and members of the environmental community joined in an historic partnership to protect drinking water for New York City and avoid the need for filtration. The landmark New York City Watershed Agreement was signed in January 1997.
Drinking water for New York City comes from reservoirs in a nearly 2,000-acre watershed located in Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Ulster, Sullivan, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. Together, these reservoirs provide about 1.4 billion gallons of drinking water per day.
Spillway at eastern end of Rondout reservoir system.
The Delaware system is located primarily in Delaware, Ulster, and Sullivan counties and provides approximately 50 percent of the city's daily demand for water. It was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s and is comprised of four reservoirs, including the Cannonsville Reservoir.
The Croton system is located east of the Hudson River and is comprised of 12 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes, including the New Croton Reservoir in Westchester County. Approximately 10 percent of the city's average daily water demand is supplied by the Croton system.
The Catskill system was constructed in the early part of the 20th century and is located west of the Hudson River in Ulster, Schoharie, Delaware, and Greene Counties. It is composed of two reservoirs, the Schoharie and the Ashokan. The Catskill system supplies, on average, 40 percent of the city's daily water supply.
2007 New York City Watershed Science and Technical Conference
The 2007 New York City Watershed Science and Technical Conference is scheduled for September 11th and 12th at the Hotel Thayer at West Point.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is a co-sponsor of the conference along with the NYS Department of State; New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA); Watershed Protection and Partnership Council; Catskill Watershed Corporation; New York City Department of Environmental Protection; NYS Department of Health; and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Since the signing of the historic New York City Watershed Agreement in 1997, there have been unparalleled efforts and resources devoted to understanding the science of the New York City Watershed.
The conference will bring scientists and technical experts together with watershed stakeholders and the public to present research findings and technical data, exchange ideas, and present information collected to date with regard to the protection of the nation's largest unfiltered surface water supply. In addition, the conference will be a unique opportunity to interface with scientists working in similar arenas across the nation, providing an opportunity to enhance technology transfer and increase coordination among those working in watershed protection science.
Registration information and the conference agenda are on NYWEA's website. For further questions, contact: Patricia Cerro-Reehil, Executive Director, NYWEA, 525 Plum Street, Suite 102, Syracuse, NY 13204, phone: 315-422-7811 x 2.
