DEP Begins Construction of Storm Water Collection System in NYC
Construction will begin next month on a storm water collection system that will enhance the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) care of Cross River Reservoir in Westchester County.
The $1.1 million project will protect water quality by capturing runoff, sediment, and nutrients from a 9.3-acre drainage area in the Town of Bedford, according to Mid Hudson News.
The project will collect storm water runoff from an area along Maple Avenue, a road that runs downhill toward the reservoir. Several hundred feet of roadside ditches that collect storm water runoff along Maple Avenue will be improved and lined with stone to prevent erosion.
The water will be directed into a new system of underground pipes and filters, which will remove sediment from the runoff. The clean water will then be conveyed through a stone-lined channel and into the reservoir.
“Storm water infrastructure is crucial for maintaining the high quality of water in our reservoir system,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “These sensible investments in watershed protection keep New York City’s drinking water tasting great, while also helping to save money on more costly forms of treatment or filtration.”
According to the DEP, the work will begin the first week in August and take about four months to complete.
DEP estimates the new system will capture more than six pounds of phosphorus each year, added Mid Hudson News.
The Maple Avenue storm water project was a requirement of New York City’s Filtration Avoidance Determination (FAD), the state permit that allows the City to operate its Catskill-Delaware Water Supply System without filtration.
The Cross River Reservoir stores 10.3 billion gallons of drinking water at full capacity.
