This report is intended to explain the water distribution systems used by my home community: New York City in this case. It solely expounds on the main water sources and the methods and channels used to distribute the water to the citizenry. It explains the ways in which water is supplied and used by the New York community: water harvesting, treatment and distribution to the city.
The history of New York City’s water service and the community it serves.
Ney York’s water service dates back to the late 1670’s when the veteran Manhattan white settlers relied on shallow wells for supply of water for their domestic use. The wells were owned by private individuals who could afford to drill them. The private ownership of wells was however contravened in 1677 when the first public well was sunk at Bowling Green. The city experienced a fast population influx by 1776 which necessitated the 8construction of a water reservoir between White and Pearl Streets. Water pumped from the public wells was now stored in the reservoir for public use by any citizen. The water from the reservoirs was supplied to the people through wooden channels to a small part of the community.
1830 was a landmark in the history of water in New York because a fire protection tank was staged at the 13th street by the city. The tank was also filled with water from the well. Due to the continued and unregulated population growth in the city, the water from the well became a victim of pollution and insufficiency. This called for alternative sources of water such as rain water, cisterns and some springs in upper Manhattan. In the course of time, the city administration tapped water from the Croton River to supplement the inadequate supply for the population and other needs in the city.
Ever since 1827 onwards, New York City has neither experienced unreasonable or acute interruptions to water supply apart from the usual seasonal changes which could affect the volume of water supply or the routine system close downs for repair and maintenance. The imminent shortages have often been prevented by the use of reservoirs which have always been kept at the brim during the favourable seasons to ensure a continued water supply to the city occupants at all times. There has been an increment in the number of water reservoirs up to 19 and some three lakes which cumulatively supply water to the tune of 580Billion gallons: a sufficient supply of water to the community.
Sources of water
In the New York City, water is basically supplied from the city’s own reservoirs which have all along been on the rise to ensure water security to the community. The reservoirs include the Cannonsville reservoir with a capacity of 95.7 billion gallons, Schoharie reservoir 17.6 billion gallons, Rondout 47.6 billion gallons, Ashokan reservoir 122.9 billion gallons, Pepacton reservoir 140.2 billion gallons and the Neversink reservoir 34.9 billion gallons. Other subsidiary water sources could include rain water which is usually harvested and stored at the individual domestic level and other water may be provided by private investors at a cost. It is however worthy noting that the water reservoirs form the critical baseline for the New York City water supply.
Daily and annual usage.
With more than eight million residents, millions of tourists and other visitors to the city, the City water supply system provide about 1 billion gallons of safe drinking water daily to serve for domestic and industrial purposes in the city. This translates to straight 365 billion gallons of water annually. The city also supplies approximately 120 million gallons of clean water to people in places outside New York such as Orange counties, Ulster, Putnam and Westchester. This volume is equivalent to 43.8 billion gallons annually. Despite the fact that it’s hard to supply the entire population with sufficient water, the City’s water supply reaches over half of the populace with clean water.
Treatment of the water
This is usually the duty and obligation of the New York City Department of Environmental protection (NYCDEP). The department designs and constructs water treatment plants to provide filtration and disinfection of the entire water before it is deemed fit for human use and consumption. Such plants include the Croton Water treatment plant at the Mosholu site which was intended to treat water from the New Croton Aqueduct. (NCA)
Water treatment is usually and mainly composed of filtration and disinfection, after which the water is pumped to the city’s distribution system ready and safe for supply to the community.
How the system is pressurised to deliver water
Water is usually pumped from the wells and the three controlled lakes to the reservoirs and to the treatment plants by the use of electricity propelled pumps. The water is mostly pumped through Polyvinyl chloride pipes for health reasons. The pumps are connected to a series of pipes which lead the water from the source to the destination: the community.
In some instances the system delivers the water relying on the gravitational pull. This is however limited to the supply of water to the low lands of the city and therefore not universally reliable for water supply and delivery.
Hydrants
These are water filled containers meant to ensure a readily available water supply to New York fire Fighters at all times for fire fighting activities at all times. They are usually kept as a provision and preventive measures in case of a fire breakout within the city at any time. The city has a total of 109,000 fire hydrants which are strategically placed and readily available for use by the highly trained fire-fighters of the City. They are placed at all central point’s which can be accessed with ease at all times without time wastage.
If at any one instance there are no hydrants for fire fighting, water for such activity is usually readily obtained from the city distribution system: i.e part of the water from the reservoirs and the three controlled lakes is diverted to fire fighting through fire proof piping systems.
Copies of hydrant testing data from Department records
Facility: Delhi (V) WWTP
Miscellaneous
As reported on the DEP response, dated April 6, 2012, to DOH/EPA response to 2007 FAD Deliverables submitted January 2012,
general repairs, lighting replacement, cleaning and painting of influent building begin in March 2012 and will progress throughout the 2012 monitoring period.
Facility: Elka Park WWTP
Basin SPDES Inspected Seasonal WWTP Report Sent to Owner
Schoharie NY0092991 Yes No Yes
Comments
Inspections
On March 30, 2012, staff performed a Quarterly Inspection. All items inspected were found to be satisfactory.
SPDES Permit Exceedance(s)
Enforcements
Facility: Fleischmanns (V) WWTP
Basin SPDES Inspected Seasonal WWTP Report Sent to Owner
Pepacton NY0261521 Yes No Yes
Comments
Inspections
On March 6, 2012, staff performed a Quarterly Inspection. All items inspected were found to be satisfactory.
SPDES Permit Exceedance(s)
On January 4, 2012, a DEP laboratory sample indicated an exceedance of pH with a sample result of 6.3 S.U., exceeding the
SPDES parameter limit of Min (6.5 S.U.) - Max (8.5 S.U.). DEP staff delivered a Verbal Warning. The plant self-monitoring
data indicates full compliance with all SPDES permit parameters.
Enforcements
Miscellaneous
Facility: Friesland Campina - DOMO (Cooling Water)
Basin SPDES Inspected Seasonal WWTP Report Sent to Owner
Cannonsville NY0262838 No No No
Comments
Inspections
SPDES Permit Exceedance(s)
On January 1, 2012, a DMR monitoring result indicated a violation of TEMPERATURE with a sample result of 73 degrees, exceeding the SPDES parameter limit of 70 degrees.
Enforcements
Miscellaneous
On February 22, 2012, a Report of Noncompliance Event was filed with DEC/DEP, for an event(s) occurring on: 1/26/12.
References
B. R. Bloomberg & S. Carter. Jr,(2011) New York City, Drinking water supply and quality report, New York ,
Cas Holloway, B. R. Michael, ,(2010) Weekly Pipeline, volume 1, issue 34, New York.
H.Cass & B. R. Michael (2012) NYC Environmental protection, New York.
Cass Holloway, B. R. Michael, ,(2011) Weekly Pipeline, volume 2, issue 35, New York.
