Neversink Reservoir - DEP

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Neversink Reservoir

Neversink Reservoir is located in Sullivan County, approximately five miles northeast of the Village of Liberty and more than 75 miles from New York City. It is formed by the damming of the Neversink River, which continues south and eventually drains into the lower Delaware River. It holds 34.9 billion gallons at full capacity and was placed into service in 1954.

Neversink Reservoir is one of four reservoirs in the Delaware Water Supply System, the newest of the City’s three systems. The water withdrawn from the reservoir travels six miles in the Neversink Tunnel to Rondout Reservoir. There it mixes with water from the other two Delaware system reservoirs, Cannonsville Reservoir and Pepacton Reservoir, before heading south via the 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct, which tunnels below the Hudson River. Neversink water ordinarily makes its way to West Branch Reservoir and Kensico Reservoir for further settling. At Kensico Reservoir, it mixes with Catskill system waters before entering the two aqueducts that carry Catskill/Delaware water to Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers, at the City’s northern boundary, where it enters the water supply distribution system.

The Neversink watershed’s drainage basin is 92 square miles and includes portions of six towns: Fallsburg, Liberty and Neversink in Sullivan County, and Denning, Hardenburgh and Shandaken in Ulster County.

Download a Map of Neversink Reservoir. For more information about New York City’s water supply system, visit Water Supply.