NARROWSBURG- The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) will host a presentation on the “Fall 2023 Dewatering Exercise for the 2024 Delaware Aqueduct Repairs Shutdown” by Jennifer Garigliano, director of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Water Supply, Water Resources Management, on Thursday, October 5, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Upper Delaware Council office, 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY.
There will also be a Zoom option offered for virtual participation upon request.
The NYC DEP announced on June 28, 2023, a second year’s postponement of the $1 billion project to repair Delaware Aqueduct system leaks discovered in the 1990s that are releasing upwards of 35 million gallons per day.
The work will require shutting down a portion of the aqueduct for up to eight months to attach a 2.5-mile bypass tunnel under the Hudson River.
The decision to delay occurred after a March 2023 two-week dewatering exercise revealed more extensive and faster infiltration of groundwater than had been originally projected when the tunnel was not at full capacity.
The extra time is needed to secure and install additional pumping equipment to ensure the safety of workers who will be 700 feet underground during the complex capital repair project.
If conditions are favorable, the schedule has now shifted to conduct a new dewatering exercise this fall ahead of the system shutdown that could occur in October 2024.
Following the presentation, the UDC’s monthly business meeting will include status reports from the Delaware River Basin Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, National Park Service, and the UDC Executive Director; discussion of old and new business; and public comment.
All UDC meetings are open to the public.
To request the Zoom link, please contact UDC Administrative Support Stephanie Driscoll at 845-252-3022 or stephanie@
