Building New York City's Water System

Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr

Many New Yorkers are used to living around lots of people. You may also live with lots of folks in your house or apartment. When you fill a glass of water to drink, where does it come from? When you or someone in your family goes to the bathroom, where does it go?

In the 1800s, people lived just like us in smaller homes or apartments. However, people weren't so lucky to have toilets and sinks. In fact, people and factories had to dump their waste right into whatever water source was nearby! And in many cases, that was the same water source where your drinking water came from…

A History of Water Use

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1

Collect Pond

The Collect Pond began as a fresh source of water for New Yorkers. It was located just north of City Hall in lower Manhattan. Eventually, the water was made undrinkable by residents dumping waste into the pond along with industries like tanneries (who make leather).

This image, showing the Collect Pond in the 1700s, looks rather pristine.

However, what do you see across the water?

2

Water Pumps

In addition to water from the Collect Pond, people could take water from various pumps and wells across the city. However, resources were very limited. Sometimes, clever people would take water from cleaner pumps and sell it at high prices. Other pumps faced pollution that got people sick with diseases such as cholera.

One of the pumps was called the “Tea Water Pump” because people would buy their water to make tea.

The illustration shows a crowd gathered around the Tea Water Pump.  Image Credit: NYPL Digital Collections , 1887

3

Manhattan Water Company

The Manhattan Water Company was a private company, started by Aaron Burr in 1799. They monopolized (gained control of) the water from various wells and springs across the city; storing water in a reservoir on Chambers Street. However, residents complained that the water wasn’t fit for drinking (the pipes were made of tree trunks). Soon, the people in charge of the Water Company realized they could make more money as a bank.

Workers in the 1900s unearth a tank built by the Manhattan Water Company.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

4

The Great Fire of 1835

On December 16, 1835 a fire broke out on a windy day. The wind blew the fire as far as 17 blocks away. 700 buildings, including warehouses, offices, and homes were destroyed. Two people died.

How would you feel if you were a business owner who lost their building to a fire?

A building burns during the Great Fire.  Image Credit: NYPL Digital Collections , 1909

5

Looking North

If a city does not have enough fresh water, it could lead to many problems. This inspired the engineers of Manhattan to look elsewhere for a source of clean, plentiful water. The Bronx River was the first choice, but it was determined to not supply enough water.

6

The Final Choice

By the 1840s, New York City's engineers decided to dam the Croton River, almost 40 miles away from the crowded city. The new water source included the Croton River and its surrounding smaller rivers, or tributaries. The entire area was known as the Croton Watershed. This location was far enough from a large population to stay clean, and provided enough water for the growing city.

An engraving showing an aerial view of the Croton Watershed.  Image Credit: Scientific American via Wikimedia Commons 

The Catskill/Delaware System

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1

Needing More

By the early 1900s, New York City had grown to include the five boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. At the same time, a growing population placed more demand on the Croton System. Some suggestions for new water sources included lakes in the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River. But, some people felt the Hudson River was too polluted. In 1906, work began on the Catskill System that would send water to New York City via the Catskill Aqueduct.

The Ashokan Reservoir in 2020 and 1916.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

2

Construction

The Catskill Mountains are 75% forested. However, people still live in towns and villages in the area. In order to build the reservoirs that would supply New York City with the new water, some people had to be displaced, or forced to move. For example, in order to build the Ashokan Reservoir, the villages of Olive, Brown’s Station, and Broadhead’s Bridge were relocated. Homes, schools, stores, and churches were all removed - their foundations lie deep beneath NYC's drinking water.

Construction workers in front of the Catskill Aqueduct in 1909.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

3

Bigger is Better

The Catskill Aqueduct delivers water over 100 miles from the green mountains to the concrete city. Building such a system was a monumental task. The aqueduct has to carry water under some challenging conditions, including under the Hudson River. The tunnel underneath the Hudson sits at 1,100 feet underground. That’s almost as tall as the Empire State Building! In the image to the right, workers are standing on the icy Hudson to take measurements.

These measurements would help them determine the route of the aqueduct beneath the river.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

4

Down On the Delaware

Of course, the demand for fresh water would grow even more into the 1920s. New York City thought to draw fresh water from the Delaware River, but New Jersey who shares a border with New York along that river did not want that to happen. Therefore, New York City decided to construct reservoirs within the watershed of the Delaware River.

Workers take measurements as part of the construction of the Downsville Dam.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

5

The reservoirs of the Delaware System include the Neversink Reservoir, Rondout Reservoir, Pepacton Reservoir, and Cannonsville Reservoir. The Pepacton Reservoir itself is as long as Manhattan Island! 

Often, the Catskill and Delaware systems are combined when people talk about New York City’s water supply. Together, they provide up to 550 billion gallons.

The Pepacton Reservoir on a sunny September day.  Image Credit: NYC DEP via Flickr 

Tour NYC's Water Sites

Now that you've explored the history of New York City's water, get ready to see what comes next! The three locations below receive water from the Croton and Catskill/Delaware systems today.

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