An ongoing $5 billion upgrade at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn is going beyond simply improving the facility’s output and efficiency. The makeover also produced a new visitor center, unveiled on Saturday, April 24, which the New York City Department of Environmental Protection hopes will bring transparency to its operation and educate the public on the lifecycle of city water.
Each day, more than one billion gallons of water flow from upstate watersheds, through 6,300 miles of water mains and into 14 city wastewater plants in a “complex and ingenious system,” said DEP commissioner Cas Holloway. He added that the Newtown Creek facility “plays a critical role in protecting the public health of all New Yorkers.”
The upgrade of the plant, located across the creek from Long Island City, began in 1998 and is expected to be completed by 2014. Among other improvements, the plant will see a 50 percent increase over existing tank volume, increased electrical power supply and new disinfection facilities, sludge handling facilities, sewage pumps and screens, along with odor control equipment.
The visitor center, a Silverite Construction Company project, houses a water sculpture by Vito Acconci, symbolizing the downstate journey of city water. The center features information on water collection and treatment, including a replica of a 96-inch city sewer main and a model of the Newtown Creek plant.
Visitors also have access to education panels with photographs and stories of DEP personnel, and an outdoor Nature Walk, which opened in 2007.
The visitor center is open to the public Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and school groups are invited on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment.
For more information, contact the DEP Education Office at educationoffice@dep.nyc.gov or 718-595-3506.
