The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) celebrated the 31st annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City, Queens, honoring the contributions of more then 1,800 students from New York City and watershed communities. Representatives from DEP participated in the Great Water Cities Summit 2017 conference hosted by the Water Environment Federation and the New York Water Environment Association. Four veteran DEP K-9 police officers have been promoted in a ceremony held at the Staff Sgt. Robert H. Dietz DEP Police Academy.
City, state and local representatives were on site at the Schoharie Reservoir to view a tunneling machine that will begin work soon as part of a $400 million project to construct a modern release works for the reservoir. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been presented with a special recognition by the Public Design Commission for its thoughtful design of green infrastructure in the watershed to help protect the city's water supply. The DEP is hosting a wetlands exploration event at Ashokan Reservoir on May 26 in celebration of American Wetlands Month. Free rain barrels have been distributed to almost 100 homeowners in the Bronx as part of the agency's rain barrel giveaway program.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has released its Fiscal Year 2018 Executive Budget. Priorities outlined for the next several years include the completion of shafts for City Tunnel 3, reconstruction of the Catskill Aqueduct from Kensico to Hillview Reservoirs, the completion of the Rondout-West Branch Tunnel repair, and investment into wastewater treatment and sewer projects. A $13.4 million project to upgrade the release works at the New Croton Dam is entering its testing phase. A delegation of environment, forest and climate change experts from India toured the Catskill and Delaware watersheds and met with officials from the DEP as well as the Catskill Watershed Corporation, Watershed Agricultural Council, and the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program.