Water Clock

Construction on the Catskill Aqueduct. January 23, 1913.

ew York City's water system has been growing since the appearance of the first public well at Bowling Green in 1666. Constantly keeping pace with the ever-increasing demand of the city, the system has been built and rebuilt and now spans more than 6,700 miles, with its farthest point reaching 120 miles away from the city. Relive the major milestones.

1666- First well dug at Bowling Green in what is now Battery Park City.

1774- Reservoir built between Pearle and White streets to hold water from public wells. Original designs called for distribution via hollowed-out logs. Project abandoned because of the Revolutionary War.

1799- Manhattan Company chartered to supply New York City with water. Reservoir holding 550,000 gallons built on Chambers Street, and 25 miles of hollow logs supply water. Company eventually becomes the Chase Manhattan Bank and continues to pump water, in accordance with the city's charter, until 1925.

1833- State Water Commission established, and design and construction of Croton River Water Supply Project begins.

1837- Old Croton Dam and aqueduct construction begins.

1842- Croton System delivers waters to New York City on June 27. Water flows into reservoir on York Hill, what would later become Central Park. The system is composed of 41.5 miles of aqueduct, 7,000 feet of tunnels, the High Bridge that crosses the Harlem River and two reservoirs. Reservoirs are located on York Hill and on Murray Hill, present site of the main branch of the New York Public Library.

1848- High Bridge completed.

1884- New Croton Aqueduct project approved and completed in 1891.

1892- Construction begins on New Croton Dam.

1898- Greater New York City formed with the consolidation of Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn with the Bronx and Manhattan. Brooklyn’s demand for water was integral in its decision to consolidate.

Present-day photograph of Croton Dam, located at the south edge of the Croton Reservoir.

1905- Board of
Water Supply created and charged to build
more projects. New Croton Dam finished. With its completion,
the Old Croton Dam becomes submerged
underneath Croton Reservoir.

1908- Construction begins on Kensico Dam and Hill View Balancing Reservoir. Both projects still play integral role in the water system today.

1911- Ashokan reservoir construction begins and marks the start of the Catskill Water System.

1915- Water from the Ashokan reservoir enters the Kensico reservoir. Project finishes four years ahead of schedule.

1916- Borough of Manhattan served by waters from the Ashokan reservoir as City Tunnel #1 is completed.

1925- Central Park Reservoir abandoned and maintained as an emergency supply in case of droughts.

1927- City Tunnel #2 construction approved to supply outer boroughs and in anticipation of increased water supplies from the Delaware River.

1929- Delaware Water System proposal approved but held up as New Jersey takes action in the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the diversion of the Delaware River. Court appoints Judge Charles N. Burch to decide the case.

1931- Burch rules in favor of New York City, and the Supreme Court concurs with his opinion. New York City is allowed to divert 440 million gallons per day from the Delaware Watershed.

1935- City Tunnel #2 is complete.

1937- Delaware Watershed project begins.

1953- Delaware Aqueduct completed U.S. Supreme Court approves increase in water-supply quota from 440 million gallons per day to 800 million gallons per day.

1970- City Tunnel #3 construction begins when work starts on the first of four stages. Project is expected to be finished in 2020.

1978- Board of Water Supply is combined with all public works agencies, but the huge bureaucracy proves to be inefficient. Department of Environmental Protection formed to oversee the management of New York City’s Water System.

1998- First stage of City Tunnel #3 is finished as it connects Hill View Reservoir to Central Park Reservoir. Sections of City Tunnel #2 and #1 are shut down for the first time since they were opened in 1935 and 1916, respectively.

Sources:
-NYC Department of Environmental Protection
-Diane Galusha, "Liquid Assets: A History of New York
City’s Water System." Purple Mountain Press, 1999
-Gerard T. Koeppel, "Water for Gotham: A History"
-Water Works Exhibit: The Architecture and Engineering
of the New York City Water Supply

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