From Reservoirs to Rain Gardens, Partnership with NYC Department of Environmental Protection Offers New Yorkers an Inside Look at Key Infrastructure and Investments

Open House New York (OHNY) in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) today announced the launch of Water Works, a yearlong series of tours, lectures, and other public programs exploring the city’s water systems, from infrastructure to industry, and how climate change is reshaping our connections to water. 

Throughout 2025, Water Works programs will open spaces for public access and bring together designers, policymakers, educators, community advocates, and other professionals to foster a stronger civic consciousness and greater understanding of New York City’s water infrastructure and its future. 

“New York is surrounded by water, but it’s easy to take this vital natural resource for granted until there’s too much of it—or not enough,” said OHNY executive director Kristin LaBuz. “By providing unparalleled access to New York’s water infrastructure and investments, Water Works will invite New Yorkers to understand how the past, present, and future of our city is shaped by water.” 

“New York City’s water infrastructure is one of the greatest engineering feats in the world, yet it often goes unnoticed,” said NYC DEP Commissioner and Chief Climate Officer Rohit T. Aggarwala. “We are proud to partner with Open House New York on the Water Works to give New Yorkers unprecedented access to the systems that provide drinking water, manage stormwater, treat wastewater to protect New York Harbor, and safeguard against climate change. These unique experiences will deepen the public’s understanding of the vital role DEP continues to play in the development and sustainability of life in New York City.”

In collaboration with lead agency partner NYC DEP, Water Works will illustrate the magnitude of the infrastructure necessary to provide drinking water to nearly 10 million New Yorkers and manage wastewater and stormwater throughout the city. The program will also highlight the careful planning and investments NYC DEP is making to ensure the infrastructure continues to serve New Yorkers for generations to come. 

On March 6th, NYC DEP Commissioner and Chief Climate Officer Rohit T. Aggarwala will deliver the program keynote, followed by a conversation between the Commissioner and infrastructure expert Kate Ascher, author of The Works: Anatomy of a City. 

Throughout 2025, NYC DEP will also offer behind-the-scenes access to agency operations, including: 

• DEP Archives (February 25), which preserves the agency’s historical records and images dating back to the 1830s; 
• A Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF), which treats sewage from nearly 13,000 acres of western Brooklyn;
• Kensico Reservoir in Westchester–a 30-billion-gallon reservoir and one of the last stops for drinking water on its way to NYC;  
• Staten Island Bluebelt, a 10,000-acre network of reengineered natural drainage systems like streams, ponds, and wetlands that store and filter stormwater 
• Leak Detection Team, aka “stethoscopes for the streets,” whose members use high-tech sonar equipment to listen through the city’s streets to catch water main leaks before they turn into breaks;
• High Bridge and Gatehouse, where drinking water from the City’s first aqueduct system historically crossed the Harlem River to serve Manhattan;
• Sludge Boat, a critical vessel that transports organic material removed during the wastewater treatment process;
• Avenue V Sewage Pumping Station, a refurbished Beaux-Arts jewel that is a key infrastructure link in wastewater’s journey from toilet flush to treatment.  

Additional Water Works programs will highlight the work done by various city and state agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups, artists, and others in upgrading infrastructure, adapting to climate change, and advocating for equitable health and wellbeing. These will include summer boat tours highlighting waterfront investment and coastal resiliency projects, a water-themed five-borough scavenger hunt, and a talk by Eric W. Sanderson, Vice President for Urban Conservation at the Center for Conservation and Restoration Ecology at the New York Botanical Garden, on the Welikia Project, his ecological study of New York City’s indigenous landscape. 

Water Works is the eighth installment of OHNY’s Urban Systems series of themed programs investigating the forces that shape the city. Previous series have explored transportation, waste management, and local manufacturing. The series is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).