Public Participation Plan for Kensico-Eastview Connection Project – KEC Eastview Site SPDES Permit

February 9, 2026

Project Overview

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provides drinking water to nearly 10 million people. More than 90 percent of New York City's drinking water is supplied by the Catskill and Delaware watersheds located in upstate New York. The Catskill and Delaware aqueducts convey water by gravity from these upstate watersheds to Kensico Reservoir located in Westchester County, New York. The Kensico-Eastview Connection (KEC) Project will provide for the construction and operation of a new, additional water conveyance tunnel between Kensico Reservoir, located at the Kensico Campus and the Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet Disinfection (CDUV) Facility, located at the KEC Eastview Site. DEP has submitted an application for an Industrial State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to allow discharges to surface waters associated with construction wastewater discharges.

Permit

Several construction activities at the KEC Eastview Site would result in the generation of industrial wastewaters and would require treatment prior to discharge, thus resulting in a regulated discharge. The primary sources of wastewater generated will occur due to the excavation and construction of a shaft, tunnel, and Eastview Connection Chamber (ECC), as well as the removal of excavated material from the KEC Tunnel. The permit would allow for the discharge of treated construction wastewaters to Mine Brook.

During construction and excavation, groundwater is anticipated to seep into the construction area and generate construction wastewater. Construction wastewaters are anticipated to consist of liquid wastes generated from tunnel boring machine (TBM) operation, drilling and blasting, makeup waters for lining the tunnels and shafts with cast in place concrete, dust control, sealing the inner diameter of the tunnels and shafts, and the use of construction equipment. The discharge of these construction wastewaters to Mine Brook require an industrial SPDES permit from NYSDEC. As part of the permit, treatment of the wastewaters will be conducted prior to release to Mine Brook to eliminate any potential pollution. Discharges to Mine Brook would occur at two locations along Mine Brook within the KEC Eastview Site. The discharge of treated construction wastewaters is anticipated to commence in 2026 and would continue at varying rates throughout the duration of construction, currently scheduled to be completed in 2032.

Below is a summary of the anticipated pollutants of concern associated with the wastewater-generating activities proposed at the KEC Eastview Site.

• Settleable and total suspended solids associated with the generation of construction wastewaters (e.g. make-up water, dust-control waters, etc.), and groundwater infiltration within the shafts, tunnels, and footprint of ECC excavation.
• Oil and grease associated with the use of construction equipment and the TBM.
• High pH from the use of various grouting compounds associated with cast-in-place concrete for lining and sealing the proposed tunnels and KEC Shaft 2C.
• Aluminum, flocculation through the addition of alum is required.

Permit Documents

• Download the Kensico-Eastview Connection Project SPDES Permit Application Fact Sheet
• Download the Virtual Public Meeting Invitation: February 17, 2026 at 12pm and 6pm - Kensico-Eastview Connection Project

Public Information Meetings

Virtual Public Information Meetings will be held as shown below:

Meeting 1: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2026 at 12pm

• Register here for Feb. 17 at 12pm
• Join via audio in US: 646-931-3860
• Webinar ID: 832 9779 8725 (required)

Meeting 2: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2026 at 6pm

• Register here for Feb. 17 at 6pm
• Join via audio in US: 646-931-3860
• Webinar ID: 848 1251 3707 (required)

Project-Related Questions

Arne Fareth
NYCDEP
96-05 Horace Harding Expressway, 5th Floor
Flushing, New York 11373
718-595-6189