Aecom joint venture to support delivery of New York water project

Appointed by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), the joint venture will oversee the delivery of the Kensico Third Conveyance Tunnel, which will supply water from the Kensico Reservoir, 24km north of New York City, to the Catskill-Delaware Ultra Violet (CDUV) Disinfection Facility in Eastview, New York.

Designed to carry 9 billion litres of water a day, the third conveyance tunnel will provide an increased water flow into the CDUV before it is delivered to New York City residents. The tunnel will provide more efficient movement of water and ensure the city has a reliable back-up in the event of a disruption to its existing supply routes.

Photo credit: New York City Department of Environmental Protection

The joint venture will supervise three concurrent teams to complete the project. The first team will oversee the delivery of the 3.2km-long, deep rock tunnel. The second team will build the new facilities and connection to the tunnels and the existing CDUV facility in Eastview. The third team will stabilise the shoreline during delivery and provide wetlands mitigation adjacent to the Kensico Reservoir. When completed, this third conveyance tunnel will allow the capacity of the Kensico Reservoir to increase and maintain levels as work is under way on a separate reservoir in Hillview.

“This large, multifaceted project will not only revitalise key infrastructure, but will also bring important environmental benefits to one of New York City’s largest water sources and its surroundings,” said Bane Gaiser, chief executive of Aecom’s US East and Latin America region. “Our history of similar successful water projects of this scale in New York coupled with the industry-leading experts of this joint venture team will benefit the NYCDEP, the state of New York, and the communities within New York City.”

The project is part of a larger effort by the NYCDEP to upgrade and modernise the city’s aging water supply infrastructure. With the connection to the Eastview UV Facility through an additional hydraulic link, the New York City water supply system will be better protected should the Delaware Aqueduct become unavailable.