Bronx residents and visitors looking to jog or walk around the man-made Jerome Park Reservoir this summer will have to wait some time to take in even distant views of the water site. The reservoir, which spans the Bronx neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Van Cortlandt Village and Kingsbridge Heights, will remain dry until the end of next year according to NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials.

 

Few residents were aware of the latest construction project currently underway at the reservoir when asked for their thoughts on the matter. Gesturing as he spoke, one male Jerome Park resident strolling along Reservoir Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights which borders the reservoir’s southern section, told Norwood News, “They may just be fixing it. I know that they alternate between that side [the north side at Jerome Avenue where the Croton Water Filtration Plant is] and this side [where the reservoir is], so they [DEP] are probably doing repairs.”

 

Asked how he knew this, the resident replied, “I just walk the area. I pay attention to it.” The resident added that he has observed teams moving water between the two locations for the past several years.

When contacted for further information about the dry reservoir on Monday, July 20, Stewart Deja, DEP press secretary, told Norwood News, “DEP continues to make upgrades to the Jerome Park Reservoir. The south basin is drained to accommodate ongoing construction, and we anticipate it will remain empty of water through 2027 when that work is complete.”

 

Deja continued, “The upgrades to the south basin are a part of the project to further improve structural components of the reservoir that was referenced in the 2022 press release. In the press release, it also outlines an estimated timeline [of] about four years to complete.” He added, “At this time, we anticipate the upgrades to be completed by the end of 2027, which is aligned with the timeline estimate.” Those upgrades were estimated at the time to cost $38 million.

 

Following the completion of a $15.7 million upgrade to the reservoir in February 2022 “to rehabilitate gatehouses, install new fencing and upgrade security infrastructure, DEP was set to begin a further $38 million project “to further improve structural components of the reservoir to ensure it continues to fulfill its critical role in the City’s water supply system.”

“The $15.7 million investment in Jerome Park reservoir will help to ensure the long-term function of our water supply infrastructure,” former DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza had said in 2022. “With more structural work on the horizon at Jerome Park Reservoir, we remain committed to working with our neighbors in the Bronx while carrying out these essential projects that will allow us to fulfill our critical mission of delivering a reliable supply of high-quality water to 8.8 million New Yorkers.”

 

DEP officials said much of the completed work, which began in 2018, focused on gatehouses that control the flow of water into and out of the reservoir. They said Gatehouses No. 5 and No. 7, which connect with the Croton Water Filtration Plant, were refurbished. They added that the brick facades were cleaned, repaired and repointed, new doors and security systems were installed, and the roof was replaced on Gatehouse No. 7.

 

They said above-ground structures at the other three gatehouses, which were not original to the reservoir, were deconstructed and brick and limestone elements were salvaged and reused at new electrical enclosures. “Historically appropriate lighting and railings modeled on those installed at the Central Park and Ridgewood Reservoirs were also provided,” they added.

DEP confirmed that they also completed considerable work around the perimeter of the reservoir, including the removal of what they said was a significant buildup of weeds and brush. They said the interior, 10-foot-high fence along the edge of the reservoir basin walls was replaced with a four-foot-high fence to improve operational access, as well as public views, and new vehicular guardrails were installed along the maintenance and operations path around the reservoir.

 

They said as part of DEP’s work to improve security throughout the entire water supply, the project also included the installation of new security cameras and traffic-control bollards. They said further work in recent years involved stabilizing and repairing the eastern wall of the reservoir and filling portions of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which runs alongside the reservoir, with a flowable concrete.

 

Other project phases cover the upgrade of the interior fence, reducing the height from 10 to four feet, and the installation of a vehicular guardrail. There were also plans [part of the $38 million project phase] to rehabilitate the retaining wall that sets the reservoir apart from the parking lot at Lehman College and the dry-laid stone wall at the south end of the reservoir, as well as the installation of new asphalt roadways around the reservoir.

Norwood News contacted DEP on numerous occasions throughout 2022 to ask for updates on the project, since residents had asked when the reservoir would become accessible. We were informed in 2023 that at some points in the past, DEP had allowed periodic limited access but because the reservoir is an active part of the water supply system, DEP no longer permits the public to access the facility.

 

They said there was no amount of additional security measures that DEP/NYPD recommend that would make the facility safe for consistent public use.

The latest project phase is part of the $38 million project referenced above. Norwood News was informed that the work also coincides with the “Washington’s Walk” retaining wall construction project, a nearly $1 million project funded by the office of former NYC Mayor Eric Adams that will reconstruct retaining walls at the southeast corner of Claflin Avenue and Reservoir Avenue, south of the reservoir, and along West 197th Street between Reservoir Avenue and University Avenue at Washington’s Walk in Kingsbridge Heights.

 

According to NYC Department of Parks & Recreation (Parks), the schematic design for this Washington’s Walk project has been approved internally at Parks and is now going through review by the community board and external regulatory agencies for comment and approval. In terms of a timeframe, the review process began in November 2024 and is expected to be completed in October 2026.

City officials advise that the average time for procurement is 9 to 12 months, and the procurement timeline for this specific contract will be established at the conclusion of the design phase. In terms of the construction timeframe, City officials said this is still to be determined and the average time for construction is 12-18 months. They said the construction timeline for this specific contract will be established at the conclusion of the procurement phase.

 

According to DEP, the Jerome Park Reservoir was built between 1894 and 1905, covers 94 acres of land and has the storage capacity to hold 770 million gallons of water. Today, about 10% of New York City’s drinking water passes through the Jerome Park Reservoir and the Croton Water Filtration Plant, DEP officials said.

Construction for the plant began in 2005. It was supposed to be completed in 2011 under a federal order, but was marred by the enormity of the project and other issues, including fraud, and ultimately went $3 billion over budget.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.