Does NYC get water from Delaware River?

The Delaware system, in parts of Delaware, Ulster and Sullivan Counties southwest of the Catskill watershed, includes 4 reservoirs which provide 50 percent of the City's daily water needs.



Yes, New York City receives approximately 50% to 60% of its daily water supply from the Delaware River watershed. This water is collected in four massive reservoirs—Cannonsville, Pepacton, Neversink, and Schoharie—located in the Catskill Mountains and the upper Delaware River basin. The water travels to the city through the Delaware Aqueduct, a 137-kilometer-long (85-mile) underground tunnel that is the longest continuous tunnel in the world. In 2026, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is completing a multi-billion dollar repair project on this aqueduct to ensure its long-term stability. The remaining portion of the city's water comes from the Catskill system and the smaller Croton system. Interestingly, the water from the Delaware and Catskill systems is so pure that it is one of the few large-scale water supplies in the United States that is not required to be filtered, only treated with UV light and chlorine to ensure safety.

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