| Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility | |
| Etymology: | Catskill Aqueduct, Delaware Aqueduct |
| Status: | Complete |
| Building Type: | Water treatment facility |
| Location City: | Westchester County, New York |
| Location Country: | US |
| Completion Date: | 2013 |
| Cost: | $1.6 billion USD |
| Owner: | City of New York |
| Operator: | New York City Department of Environmental Protection |
| Grounds Area: | 160000square feet |
The Catskill-Delaware Water Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility is a 160000square feet 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]
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 2.2abbr=offNaNabbr=off of water per day. The new facility was originally set to be in operation by the end of 2012.[7] The facility opened on October 8, 2013.[8]