In 1970, New York City began construction of what would eventually become one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in its history: City Water Tunnel No. 3. The project was designed to create a third major conduit for the city’s drinking-water system and, crucially, provide enough redundancy to allow the two older tunnels to be inspected and repaired. In 1998, the first sections entered service, but the Manhattan portion was not activated till 2013, meaning the project had been under construction for 43 years. According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the tunnel ultimately stretches for more than 60 miles through the city’s underground bedrock.
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