Money Talk: Our $18.1 Billion Ten-Year Capital Budget
Our Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Executive Budget outlines our priorities for the next several years. Our expense budget for FY18 includes $534 million to pay the salaries of our nearly 6,000 employees, $166 million for taxes on upstate lands that protect water quality, $93 million for energy costs and $107 million for chemicals and biosolids. Our Ten-Year Capital Plan budget for FY18–27 is $18.1 billion, including:
City Water Tunnel №3
In 2013, we activated the final leg of the Manhattan portion of the tunnel and laid the groundwork to get water flowing into the Brooklyn-Queens leg of the tunnel. The tunnel and most of the infrastructure shafts that support it are complete — just two shafts remain to be designed and constructed.
As part of this year’s Preliminary Capital Budget submission, the Mayor allocated an additional $300 million needed for the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment for the two shafts. This funding keeps us on schedule to begin construction of the shafts in 2020.
Catskill Aqueduct Reconstruction Kensico to Hillview
This summer will mark the 100-year anniversary of the opening of the Catskill Aqueduct. Many of the components of the aqueduct are nearing the end of their useful life and require repair, reconstruction, or replacement. The capital plan includes $126 million (all added prior to this Executive Budget) to fund the structural reconstruction, replacement of mechanical equipment, and building reconstruction of the Lower Catskill Aqueduct.
Southeast Queens
Alleviating flooding in Southeast Queens is a major priority for Mayor de Blasio and DEP. In 2015, the Mayor announced a $1.5 billion program to substantially accelerate relief in Southeast Queens by pairing traditional sewer construction with green infrastructure throughout the region. To date, DEP has committed $229 million to this work. So, this Ten-Year Plan has $1.6 billion funded, bringing the total expected commitments for Southeast Queens to $1.8 billion.
Wastewater Treatment
DEP plans to invest $6.7 billion in wastewater treatment projects, $3.9 billion of which is for the reconstruction or replacement of components of the wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations.
This Plan includes $33 million for the construction of a new cogeneration system at the North River plant.
The remaining $2.8 billion investment will be used to mitigate combined sewer overflows, with $946 million for green infrastructure and the remainder for gray infrastructure.
A significant part of our wastewater treatment budget is $1.8 billion in funding to cover planned consent-order work related to the Long-Term Control Plans (LTCPs) for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater control.
Reservoirs, Dams, Treatment Facilities and Water Mains
Over the next 10 years, DEP proposes to invest $4.1 billion to protect the quality of our reservoirs and the integrity of our dams, provide for treatment where necessary, and maintain and repair the water main system conveying potable water to all New Yorkers. We have budgeted $1 billion for the reconstruction of dams in our three watersheds — Catskill, Delaware, and Croton.
The Rondout-West Branch Tunnel Repair
The Delaware Aqueduct conveys more than half of New York City’s high-quality drinking water every day from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains and repairing it is the central component of the $1.5 billion program, $1.0 billion of which is for construction, which aims to ensure clean, safe, and reliable drinking water. Although this project extends even beyond the current Plan, the Executive Budget provides $201 million for projects associated with its repair related to conservation and providing supplemental sources of water during the Delaware Aqueduct shutdown. Increasing the capacity of the Catskill Aqueduct — a project distinct from pressurization — accounts for $155 million of the above total.
Sewers
The Executive FY18–27 Capital Plan projects $4.3 billion of spending on sewers including:
- $1.9 billion for replacement of sewers (storm, sanitary or combined);
- $2.1 billion for new sewers (of all types) of which; Storm sewers account for $1.7 billion of projected spending, of which $114 million is for high-level storm sewers; and $394 million of the total is for both the conventional sewers and the lands necessary to create Bluebelt systems
The entire budget testimony can be viewed here.
