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NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 6, 2026
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NYC DEP
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 6, 2026
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The Cannonsville Reservoir, New York City’s third-largest source of drinking water, could be expanding after a drought two years ago reduced the city’s water supply to worryingly low levels.
The Delaware River Basin Commission, the federal interstate agency that manages a 13,539 square mile watershed that supplies drinking water to four states, is evaluating the option to increase the 96 billion gallon water supply as it plans for future drought, flooding and saltwater infiltration from projected sea level rise.
”Dry conditions in this basin can happen quickly, and conditions can change quickly,” said Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission. “Our responsibility is to make sure that we are understanding any potential changes that are happening in the basin with respect to climate change and sea level rise.”
While the commission manages the area’s water, New York City owns three of its reservoirs: Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink. The city is the basin's largest water consumer, depending on it for about half of its drinking water.
The basin also serves New York state, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In 2024, the city declared its first drought warning in more than 20 years. That delayed a planned $2 billion repair on the Delaware Aqueduct — which brings water from Cannonsville to the city — to stop the daily leakage of 35 million gallons of water. That year, the municipal reservoir levels overall dropped to roughly 60%, well below the normal range of mid-70s to low 80s.
More than two decades earlier, Cannonsville Reservoir hit a record low capacity of 3.4% because of dry conditions.
”You can't just go out and purchase a reservoir,” Kavanagh said. “These things really take decades because of the engineering considerations, the social, economic considerations, safety and flood — all the different things that have to go into understanding what the impacts could be of an expansion or a new reservoir.”
Delaware River Basin Commission began considering climate change, sustainability and resilience on its freshwater supply in 2020. The commission did a series of studies that presented more than 2,500 options for water storage. Options included expanding existing reservoirs and building new ones.
Some solutions included repurposing existing holes in the ground, such as quarries. The agency is evaluating a shortlist of alternatives, including expansion of the Cannonsville Reservoir.
The 18-month feasibility study will investigate potential volume, cost, necessary permitting, and the region’s hydrology and geology. The commission expects to have the findings by mid-2028.
The project to expand freshwater storage is a partnership between the city and the commission.
“The Delaware River Basin Commission’s feasibility study is part of a broader effort by that multistate panel to identify additional water storage in the Delaware Basin to support the river ecology and its communities during times of extreme drought,” wrote the city environmental agency spokesperson Robert Wolejsza.
Tagged
Politics
environment
Rosemary Misdary
Rosemary is health & science reporter. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 646-544-9524.
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