Security cameras being installed at reservoir
The new surveillance equipment will be placed along the dams and dikes at the Ashokan.
The installation of security cameras along the dam and dikes at the Ashokan Reservoir should not cause much disruption for visitors, a New York City Department of Environmental Protection spokesman says.
Adam Bosch, director of public affairs for the department, said portions of the recreation path along the reservoir’s dam and dikes will be closed periodically to provide a safe zone around the employees while they install the cameras. He said the path is similar to a two-lane road, so the disruption should be minimal.
The Department of Environmental Protection is installing the cameras as part of a longstanding effort to bolster security at key spots within New York City’s water supply system, according to a press release. The department’s Bureau of Police & Security will oversee the installation of the video cameras on poles that were installed along the reservoir previously.
Bosch said about two dozen cameras will be installed. He said the poles were put up “years ago” along the 2.72 miles of path but the cameras and related equipment were just recently procured for the project.
The work is expected to begin in early October and be finished by the end of the year, the release said.
Similar cameras have been installed at other New York City reservoirs, dams and treatment facilities to improve 24-hour monitoring and ensure the security of the water supply for 9.5 million people, according to the release.
Bosch said the department’s police regularly patrol the reservoir and the rest of the agency’s property. He said the dam and dikes are “critical infrastructure we want to keep an eye on.”
The department’s Police Division was established more than 100 years ago and currently has more than 200 officers charged with protecting New York City’s water supply system, which includes more than 2,000 square miles of watershed land across nine counties, hundreds of miles of tunnels and aqueducts, 14 wastewater treatment plants, laboratories and chlorination facilities.