NEW YORK (PIX11) — The water that gives New York City’s pizza and bagels their distinct flavor may taste a bit off the next few weeks.
On Monday, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) began funneling a significant amount of water from a group of 12 reservoirs in Westchester and Putnam counties into the city’s water supply while they prep for repairs on the Delaware Aqueduct this fall, officials said. The new water supply will continue until March 16.
“Due to the increase in (upstate) water, New York City residents may notice a slight taste difference in their tap water due to different characteristics between upstate reservoir systems,” the DEP said.
Officials are building a 2 1/2 mile bypass tunnel around leaks in the Delaware Aquedecut as part of a $1 billion project announced in 2010, according to the DEP. The two-week shutdown allows workers to identify the leaks so they can be fixed in October, officials said.
About half of the city’s water supply comes from the 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct, which has been used since 1944, officials said. The water comes from four reservoirs in the Catskills before it’s funneled into New York City.
