GROUNDS OF JEROME PARK RESERVOIR TO BE OPENED FOR LIMITED ACCESS RECREATION IN NOVEMBER

   The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it will open the grounds of Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for special limited access recreation on the weekend of Nov. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Members of the public will have the opportunity to walk or jog around the 2-mile perimeter of the Reservoir.  Phones, bags and cameras will not be permitted on the Reservoir grounds.  There will be an opportunity to check phones, but visitors should not bring bags or cameras.  Entry to the Reservoir Grounds will be through a Gate House located on the west side of Goulden Avenue, just south of 205th Street.  There will be a similar recreation weekend in May 2017.

In addition to the public recreation, this fall DEP will continue its partnership with schools located in the vicinity of the Reservoir to provide a pilot education program on New York City’s drinking water system.  This will include teacher professional development, classroom visits and guided tours of the Reservoir grounds.  Since last winter, more than 1,200 students from Bronx H.S. of Science, DeWitt Clinton H.S., P.S. 8, P.S. 86 and P.S. 95 have taken part in the program.

Jerome Park Reservoir is roughly 93-acres in size, has the capacity to hold up to 773 million gallons of water, and is located in the northwest Bronx.  It receives water from the City’s Croton Watershed, located in Westchester and Putnam Counties, and is the last stop for the water before it enters the Croton Water Filtration Plant and goes into the City’s distribution system.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 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 $14 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.  For more information, visitnyc.gov/dep<http://www.nyc.gov/dep>