February 7, 2022

Photos of the work are available on DEP’s Flickr page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the completion of a $15.7 million project to rehabilitate gatehouses, install new fencing and upgrade security infrastructure at Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx. Later this year, DEP will begin a $38 million project to further improve structural components of the reservoir to ensure it continues to fulfill its critical role in the City’s water supply system for decades to come.

“The $15.7 million investment in Jerome Park reservoir will help to ensure the long-term function of our water supply infrastructure,” DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza said. “With more structural work on the horizon at Jerome Park Reservoir, we remain committed to working with our neighbors in the Bronx while carrying out these essential projects that will allow us to fulfill our critical mission of delivering a reliable supply of high-quality water to 8.8 million New Yorkers.”

Much of the completed work, which began in 2018, focused on gatehouses that control the flow of water into, and out of, the reservoir. Gatehouses No. 5 and No. 7, which connect with the Croton Water Filtration Plant, were refurbished. The brick facades were cleaned, repaired and repointed, new doors and security systems were installed, and the roof was replaced on Gatehouse No. 7. The above-ground structures at the other three gatehouses, which were not original to the reservoir, were deconstructed and brick and limestone elements were salvaged and reused at new electrical enclosures. Historically appropriate lighting and railings modeled on those installed at the Central Park and Ridgewood Reservoirs were also provided.

DEP also completed considerable work around the perimeter of Jerome Park Reservoir, including the removal of a significant buildup of weeds and brush. The interior 10-foot-high fence along the edge of the reservoir basin walls was replaced with a four-foot-high fence to improve operational access as well as public views, and new vehicular guardrails were installed along the maintenance and operations path around the reservoir. As part of DEP’s work to improve security throughout the entire water supply, the project at Jerome Park Reservoir also included the installation of new security cameras and traffic-control bollards.

The completion of this project will lead into another effort to improve some of the structural components at Jerome Park Reservoir starting later this year. That work will involve stabilizing and repairing the eastern wall of the reservoir and filling portions of the Old Croton Aqueduct, where it runs alongside the reservoir, with a flowable concrete. The next project will complete the upgrade of the interior fence, reducing the height from 10 to four feet, and the installation of the vehicular guardrail. The project will also rehabilitate the retaining wall that sets the reservoir apart from the parking lot at Lehman College and the dry-laid stone wall at the south end of the reservoir and install new asphalt roadways around the reservoir. The $38 million project is expected to take about four years to complete.

Jerome Park Reservoir was built from 1894-1905 to help distribute water to the Bronx and provide an additional source of water storage within the City. The two-basin reservoir covers 94 acres and has a storage capacity of 770 million gallons. Jerome Park Reservoir was originally fed by the Old Croton Aqueduct and New Croton Aqueduct until the former was taken offline in the 1950s. Today it continues to receive water from the Croton Water Supply System through the 33-mile-long New Croton Aqueduct. Jerome Park Reservoir and its infrastructure was significantly modified in the 2000s and early 2010s to connect the reservoir to the newly constructed Croton Water Filtration Plant, which was placed into service in 2015. On average, about 10 percent of New York City’s drinking water passes through Jerome Park Reservoir and the Croton Water Filtration plant on a typical day.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.