With New York City aqueduct in repair, mayor promises water will remain safe and tasty

New York City officials assured residents that water flowing from their faucets will continue to be perfectly safe — even if it might taste a bit different — as they announced plans Monday to address massive leaks in the supply system by shutting down part of a main aqueduct for the winter.

The temporary shutdown this week of a stretch of the Delaware Aqueduct in upstate New York, which carries water from the Catskill region, means the city will be more reliant on reservoirs in the northern suburbs. And that could mean people with more sensitive palates could notice changes in the famously crisp taste of New York City water.

“New Yorkers should know that your water is going to taste a little, slightly different. Some of you are not going to pick it up,” Mayor Eric Adams said before sipping a bit of water at a news conference announcing the work.

Adams called it "perfectly safe, good water.”