The Bronx’s City Island is slated to receive funding so their drinking water supply can get a much-needed upgrade.
The New York City Departments of Environmental Protection and Design and Construction announced that they will take on a $24 million project that will construct two new water mains under Pelham Bay, ensuring that there will be a reliable supply of water for the residents and businesses located on the Island. The DEP will fund the project while DDC will oversee construction.
The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
“We are investing $24 million to help ensure a reliable supply of high quality drinking water for the residents, businesses and visitors to City Island,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Thank you to our partners at DDC for managing this important and complex project.”
For this project, engineers will drill horizontally to create a pathway for pipes to travel from the Rodman’s Neck peninsula on the mainland toward City Island. Prep work on City Island includes the excavation of a coffer dam approximately 30-feet deep that will serve as the receiving pit for the new pipes.
Once installed, the two new 20-inch subaqueous water mains will serve as new feeds for City Island. These pipelines will replace a 12-inch underwater main and a temporary 16-inch main that is currently installed on the City Island Bridge, which will be removed during construction. The new water mains will connect to existing 20-inch and 24-inch water mains on the mainland, and tie-in to existing 8-inch and 20-inch water mains on City Island.
The project will also include the construction of 500 additional linear feet of 12-inch distribution water mains and the addition of new fire hydrants on both sides of Pelham Bay.
“It is important that we, as a city, continue to improve our critical infrastructure. This water main replacement project will provide an upgraded water supply connection to City Island, benefitting both residents and businesses, and I am grateful to the DEP and DDC for moving forward with this important project,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz.
For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep.
