NEWBURGH – The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has delayed one of the final phases of construction of the Delaware Aqueduct bypass tunnel under the Hudson River.
The tunnel, about 700 feet below the riverbed, spans from the Town of Newburgh to the Town of Wappinger and will skirt around a portion of the aqueduct, which will then be taken offline to repair major leaks, mostly in the Town of Newburgh with others in the Town of Wawarsing.
That work was scheduled to begin this coming October and last up to eight months, but it was pushed back to start in October 2024.
The shift in schedule was necessary to allow for additional pumps and related drainage infrastructure and electrical support to be installed to keep the construction zone dry and ensure worker safety during the complex repair of decades-old leaks.
Since 1992, DEP has tested and monitored the leaks, which can release more than 35 million gallons per day. Nearly all of the water escaping through the leaks happens near the Hudson River at Newburgh,
The 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct delivers about half of New York City’s water supply – about 600 million gallons a day – using gravity to carry the water from four Catskill Mountain region reservoirs.
The Catskill Aqueduct provides water from two reservoirs in the eastern Catskills and will be more heavily relied on during the Delaware Aqueduct shutdowns.
DEP has been working with Hudson Valley municipalities – including the City of Newburgh – that rely on the Delaware Aqueduct for their water supplies to activate backup plans during the temporary shutdown as well as working with the US Geological Survey to monitor groundwater levels in communities where the Delaware Aqueduct leaks are located.
