Vital Life Supports for N.Y.C. Through the 20Th Century

Abstract

A broad overview is presented of the water and wastewater programs of New York City. Each “life support system” is the product of long term plans which can retain their basic thrust for as long as a century. One key to viable continuity is a career cadre dedicated to the program. The present water supply system is the successful culmination of 100 yr of sustained effort, but a new City commitment is now required for the next century. Eighty years of water pollution control planning and construction is reviewed to demonstrate the adaptability of a long term plan to new technology, growth, and shift of population. The ultimate products of a 1914 Master Plan will serve the City well into the 21st Century.