Catskill Aqueduct Project Honored
The complex project to rehabilitate the 92-mile-long Catskill Aqueduct has earned the Tappan Zee Award, a recognition given by the Lower Hudson Valley Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers for the best large project of the year! The award was given June 16 during a virtual ceremony. We were recognized along with the consulting firms that designed, managed and built the project.
Our rehabilitation of the Catskill Aqueduct has been one of the most complex upgrades in the history of the water supply. The project spans 74 miles across four counties and 17 individual municipalities. The work has focused on three main components —
- cleaning the inside of the aqueduct,
- repairing leaks,
- and replacing century-old valves that are connected to the aqueduct.
The project required the design, fabrication and installation of specialized equipment, establishing access into the aqueduct at remote locations, coordination with upstate communities that draw water from the aqueduct, and unmeasurable amounts of planning to ensure the aqueduct could be safely repaired while meeting the needs of our water customers.
This work has been accomplished during 10-week shutdowns of the aqueduct, which have happened during fall and winter over the past three years. A fourth and final shutdown is scheduled to begin later this year to complete the work. The Catskill Aqueduct carries approximately 40 percent of the City’s drinking water on a typical day.
