July 18, 2012

CONTACT:

Chris Gilbride / Ted Timbers (718) 595-6600

DEP Announces Improvements to Ashokan Dividing Weir Gate House

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that construction will begin this week to modernize and upgrade operations to the dividing weir gatehouse at the Ashokan Reservoir. The project will replace the mechanical and electrical components in the gate house and help ensure that operations at the reservoir continue to run reliably and efficiently. 

The dividing weir at Ashokan controls the flow of water from the west basin into the east.  When the west basin fills up it spills into the east basin over the weir. The dividing weir gate house is used to control the transfer of water between the basins when the west basin has not reached the spilling point.

The gate house was originally constructed between 1909 and 1911. As part of the current project, four new “sluice gates” will be installed, replacing the original cast iron sluice gates.  These gates are five feet wide and fifteen feet high and are located in the existing channels of the weir. Each gate will be operated by its own new electric motor. New electrical panels, a transformer, conduits and lights will be installed in the gatehouse as well as upgrades to the control system.

There will be temporary closures of the northbound lane on Reservoir Road during construction. Two temporary traffic signals will be installed to allow for alternating one-way traffic through the work zone.  Some of the work will require additional temporary traffic changes on Reservoir Road.

The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2015 at a cost of approximately $13 million.

DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight 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. DEP employs nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. DEP has a robust capital program with a planned $13.2 billion in investments over the next 10 years that creates up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nycwater.