Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility
Water treatment facility in New York, United States
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The Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility is a 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) ultraviolet (UV) water disinfection plant built in Westchester County, New York, to disinfect water for the New York City water supply system.[1] The compound is the largest ultraviolet germicidal irradiation plant in the world.[2]
| Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility area | |
| Etymology | Catskill Aqueduct, Delaware Aqueduct |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Water treatment facility |
| Location | Westchester County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 41.078°N 73.8088°W |
| Completed | 2013 |
| Cost | US$1.6 billion |
| Owner | City of New York |
| Operator | New York City Department of Environmental Protection |
| Technical details | |
| Grounds | 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Trojan Technologies |
The UV facility treats water delivered by two of the city's aqueduct systems, the Catskill Aqueduct and the Delaware Aqueduct, via the Kensico Reservoir.[3] (The city's third supply system, the New Croton Aqueduct, has a separate treatment plant.[4])
The plant has 56 energy-efficient UV reactors, and cost the city $1.6 billion. Mayor Michael Bloomberg created research groups between 2004–2006 to decide the best and most cost-effective ways to modernize the city's water filtration process, as a secondary stage following the existing chlorination and fluoridation facilities. The UV technology effectively controls microorganisms such as giardia and cryptosporidium which are resistant to chlorine treatment.[5] The city staff determined that the cheapest alternatives to a UV system would cost over $3 billion. In response to this finding, Bloomberg decided to set up a public competitive contract auction. Ontario based Trojan Technologies won the contract.[6]
The facility treats 2.2 billion U.S. gallons (8.3 billion liters) of water per day. The new facility was originally set to be in operation by the end of 2012.[6][7] The facility opened on October 8, 2013.[8]