The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced at the end of January that the Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility will once again be opened to the public for special Valentine’s Day tours. Tours will be held on Saturday, February 9 at 11am., 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm and will include a short overview of the wastewater treatment process followed by a visit to the 120-foot high observation deck located atop the iconic digester eggs. There, visitors will enjoy scenic views of the New York City skyline. Reservations are required and will be taken on a first come, first served basis beginning Thursday, January 31 at 12pm. The tours will begin at the Visitors Center, which is located at 329 Greenpoint Avenue.
Located in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, the Newtown Creek plant went into operation in 1967 and serves approximately 1 million residents in a drainage area of more than 15,000 acres (25 square miles), including portions of Manhattan, western Queens and northern Brooklyn. The plant is the City’s largest wastewater resource recovery facility, recently underwent a $5 billion upgrade and has been honored by The New York City Public Design Commission with two Awards for Excellence in Design.
DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.6 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 $19.4 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.
