New York City Water Supply System
New York City's water supply system is one of the most extensive municipal water systems in the world. This complex system relies on a combination of tunnels, aqueducts and reservoirs to meet the daily needs of 8 million residents and many visitors. Thanks to well-protected wilderness watersheds, New York's water treatment process is simpler than in other American cities. One advantage of the system is that 95% of the total water supply is supplied by gravity. The other 5% needs to be pumped to maintain pressure, but this is sometimes increased in times of drought when the reservoirs are at lower than normal levels.
The city has sought to restrict development throughout its watershed. One of its largest watershed protection programs is the Land Acquisition Program, under which the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has purchased or protected through conservation easement over 70,000 acres (280 km²) since 1997.
Read more about New York City Water Supply System: Responsibility For Water Supply, Sewerage and Wastewater Treatment, Overview of Infrastructure
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