Olympian Water Testing™

DUMBO, a historic waterfront neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, is served by New York City’s comprehensive water supply system, which has evolved from local wells and ponds to a vast municipal network. In the 17th and 18th centuries, early Brooklyn settlers, including those in the area now known as DUMBO, relied on private wells, streams, and ponds, with fresh groundwater occasionally hauled to Manhattan. Urban growth and pollution necessitated a shift to upland sources, with the Croton Aqueduct’s completion in 1842 providing a reliable supply that supported the neighborhood’s development.

Today, DUMBO receives water from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s integrated system, which draws exclusively from 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes in the protected Croton, Catskill, and Delaware watersheds. Water is conveyed primarily through the 105-mile Delaware Aqueduct to Hillview Reservoir and distributed via more than 7,000 miles of pipelines. Gravity-powered delivery provides approximately 1.3 billion gallons daily, supplemented by the 2013 Catskill/Delaware Ultraviolet Disinfection Facility and watershed protection measures. Ongoing efforts include pipeline replacements to reduce leaks, corrosion control to limit lead leaching, and a mandated replacement of approximately 241,000 lead service lines citywide by 2037, with DEP’s free program expanded in October 2025.