Swaney, D., Santoro, R., Howarth, R., Hong, B., & Donaghy, K. 2012. Historical changes in the food and water supply systems of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Regional Environmental Change 12(2): 368-380. Doi:10.1007/s10113-011-0266-1
Water supply is among the most important factors that shape the development of a city. For centuries, the relatively rapid rate of development of New York City brought about growing pains when dealing with sourcing clean water. From the early use of unpolluted wells, springs and streams by European settlers, to today’s use of upstate watersheds, New York City’s water systems have undergone a series of changes to offset the pressures of urban society.
The concept of using watersheds has long been critical to supplying NYC with clean water. As seen in the figure below, watershed boundaries (in red) for the NYC reservoirs at various points in time have changed in order to accommodate growing demand. The Catskill Mountain system, for example, was completed in 1927 and now supplies approximately 40% of the City’s demands for water. The Delaware and Croton watersheds supply water to the remaining populations.
Expansion of the NYC watershed (pale red) and water supply system over time.
In an attempt to maintain New York City’s reputably clean water supply, the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposition to construct a filtration facility has appealed to many. With an estimated initial cost of $6-$8 billion and an annual operating cost of $500 million thereafter, residents and business owners will be the ones to shoulder much of these undue expenses. There are other ways to combat NYC’s water supply issues.
New York City has continued to maintain and improve its infrastructure over the years. Major transport pipelines have been replaced, water mains throughout the city have been repaired, developing leak detection and metering programs have reduced loss, and the mandated addition of phosphorus to the city water supply has reduced pipeline corrosion. In addition, much attention has also turned towards the management of watersheds to maintain water quality and meet demands. New and creative approaches such as acknowledging the value of ecosystem services and the need for wetland protection have also been proposed.
As a result of such measures, water use has leveled off. While there is undoubtedly going to be increased pressure to provide quality water to New York City, there has been “increased public understanding of the linkage between the NYC’s water demand and the finite nature of its watershed.”
There is great motivation for NYC to abide by strict watershed rules and regulations to ensure high water quality so as to avoid the economic consequences of failing to guarantee adequate water supply. It is possible – and economical – to do so by continuing to approach our water systems innovatively rather than by constructing a filtration facility worth billions of dollars that can be better allocated elsewhere.
