Delaware • New Jersey • Pennsylvania
New York • United States of America
 NYCDEP's Pepacton Reservoir. |
The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) plans to shut down the Delaware Aqueduct in October 2024 until the spring of 2025 to repair leaks in the aqueduct.
• The Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project and its Impacts on Watershed Communities (DEP webpage)
June 2024:
Before the aqueduct is shut down, NYC Delaware Basin Reservoir levels will be lowered; this is anticipated to begin in June 2024.
October 2024:
The NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) plans to shut down the Delaware Aqueduct in October 2024 until the spring of 2025 to repair leaks in the aqueduct.
Project History:
The shutdown was originally slated to begin in October 2022, but was pushed back one year to 2023. In June 2023, the project was again pushed back one year, to October 2024.
• View DEP News Release Announcing the Project Delay (issued June 28, 2023)
• In October 2023, DEP temporarily shut down and partially dewatered the Delaware Aqueduct for 3 weeks as part of planned testing in preparation for the scheduled Oct. 2024 - May 2025 shutdown to repair leaks.
Public Information:
The DEP plans to hold meetings as needed to inform stakeholder groups about the plan and answer questions before and also after the shutdown occurs, so everyone is aware of the conditions and how the repair went.
The DRBC will continue to help share project information to Delaware River Basin stakeholders. Please check back for updates.
The 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct is the world’s longest tunnel. It transfers water from the three NYC Delaware River Basin Reservoirs (Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink) via the Roundout Reservoir to New York City. Roughly half of the city's population, plus other communities along the route, get their drinking water from this reservoir system.
The Delaware Aqueduct has been leaking upwards of 35 million gallons per day since the 1990s. In 2010, New York City announced a $1 billion plan to repair these leaks. After a decade-plus of coordinated, technical, engineering study, planning and modeling, the DEP is planning to temporarily shut down the Delaware Aqueduct in October 2024 to complete the repair.
Starting in June 2024, the NYC Delaware Basin Reservoir levels will be lowered in anticipation of the fall shutdown. The fall timing to start the repair was chosen because demand for water is at its lowest. During the shutdown, DEP will not be diverting water from these reservoirs for water supply; however, they will continue releasing water into Delaware River tributaries pursuant to the Flexible Flow Management Program, a water allocation agreement between the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware and the City of New York.
Project Factsheet
Presentations Given
- Delaware Aqueduct Shutdown Analysis (Amy Shallcross, P.E., DRBC; pdf - presented at the 5/11/23 Public Info Session)
- Delaware Aqueduct Repair Update (Jennifer Garigliano, NYCDEP; pdf - presented at 4/26/23 RFAC meeting and the 5/11/23 Public Info Session)
- Delaware Aqueduct Shutdown Analysis (Amy Shallcross, P.E., DRBC; pdf - presented at 4/26/23 RFAC meeting)
- Delaware Aqueduct Repair Update (Jennifer Garigliano, NYCDEP; pdf - presented at 6/29/22 RFAC meeting)
- Delaware Aqueduct Repair Update (Jennifer Garigliano, NYCDEP; pdf - presented at 3/23/22 RFAC meeting)
NYCDEP Webpage
NYCDEP Contact
- NYCDEP Bureau of Water Supply Director of Outreach John Milgrim: jmilgrim@dep.nyc.gov
DRBC Contact
- DRBC Director of External Affairs and Communications Elizabeth Brown: elizabeth.brown@drbc.gov
Information about the shutdown is being shared via the DRBC's Regulated Flow Advisory Committee.