FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE04-47
August
31, 2004
Contact:
Charles G. Sturcken
(718) 595-6600
New
Croton Aqueduct to Be Shut Down for Inspection, Repairs and
Rehabilitation in Early September
Commissioner Christopher O. Ward of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection announced today that the New Croton
Aqueduct will be shut down for inspection, and rehabilitation for
nine months from September 2004 to May 2005. This will be the first
of two seasonal shutdowns required to complete the work. The second
shutdown will take place from September 2005 to March 2006. In
both cases, DEP will halt work and reactivate the New Croton Aqueduct
to enable affected communities to meet peak summer demands on the
water supply. The Croton water supply system is the oldest of the
City’s three systems. It normally supplies 10 per cent of
the city’s daily water, and in times of drought can provide
up to 30 percent if necessary.
Commissioner Ward said, “This work is vital to maintaining
the redundancy and operational flexibility of the City’s
water supply system. The work has been scheduled for fall and winter,
when there is reduced use of water and when alternative sources
for areas that customarily receive Croton water is more manageable.
In addition, the Catskill and Delaware water supply systems, which
will be the primary source for the more than 1 million people to
whom Croton water is delivered, are more than 10 percent above
normal storage because of high levels of precipitation during the
summer months.”
The work to be performed during the shutdown period will consist
of the following activities:
- Visual inspections and investigations behind the tunnel brick
liner of the 7 mile section in New York City ;
- inspection and testing of grouting needs to be used for future
rehabilitation of the Aqueduct;
- inspections of shaft lining and above ground structures, and
- deployment of an underwater Remote Operated Vehicle to inspect
the 350 foot deep Harlem River siphon.
` During the second shutdown, from September 2005 to March 2006,
work will include:
- cleaning and repairing brick tunnel and shaft linings;
- waterproofing internal sub-surface masonry walls and floor
of Aqueduct shaft #9;
- grouting of voids, cracks and leaks, and of surrounding ground;
- plugging the connection between the New Croton Aqueduct and
the Old Croton Aqueduct; and
- cleanup of sediment and debris at various locations.
“At certain locations,” said Commissioner Ward, “the
Project may result in minimal impacts on surrounding areas as DEP
will need to use various points for access and staging. All sites
that have been disrupted will be fully restored at the completion
of the work.”
During the shutdown, six upstate community water supplies, Villages
of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown , Briarcliff Manor, Ossining and Irvington
and United Water New Rochelle, will be required to take water from
alternate sources. These communities have back up sources sufficient
to meet demand during the shutdown.