New York City is surrounded by so much water, you’d think you wouldn’t have to worry about how long of a shower you take or leaving the faucet running while you brush your teeth. But the truth is, none of the water that NYC’s residents and tourists use comes from the rivers or ocean around NYC. 

 

NYC’s water originates in Upstate New York as far as 125 miles away. First, water from rain and mountain streams is collected in water reservoirs. From there, it flows through downhill aqueducts and tunnels to distribution chambers in the city and then to all the buildings in the five boroughs.

 

NYC proudly claims that it provides “the champagne of tap water” because the water supply is so clean and fresh.

 

But who guarantees the water is (and stays) clean?

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An important first step in clean water is to make sure the land, streams, and rivers in the watersheds are not polluted through agriculture or people dumping garbage into them. Did you know there are 200 policemen protecting our waterways twenty-four hours a day? Once it’s on its way to your faucet, the water is disinfected with special light and treated with chlorine to kill bacteria. Continuous water tests guarantee that our water is clean and free of organisms that could make us sick.

 

Having access to clean drinking water is a human right. However, about one billion people – every seventh person in the world – struggle to find clean water because of pollution or limited water supply. With a growing number of people in the world, more droughts, and more pollution, providing enough clean water for a city is getting more difficult every year.

 

Think about how can you use less water and help keep the watersheds clean!