nyc’s water story: from mountain top to tap map · nyc’s water story: from mountain top to tap...
TRANSCRIPT
NYC’sWaterStory:FromMountainToptoTapMap
TheWaterCycleinTextandImages
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Thewaterweusetodayisthesamewaterthatfellasrainwhendinosaursroamedtheearth.
Initsendlesscycle,wateristheonlysubstancethatnaturallyexistsasasolid,liquidorgas.
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Water’sjourneyfrommountaintoptotapbeginswhenrainandsnowfallonwatersheds,theareasoflandthatcatch,absorb,andcarrywaterdownhilltogentlyandswiftlyflowingstreams.
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Streamsprovidelife-cycleneedsforfishandotheraquaticorganisms.Oxygenistrappedinthefreshwaterasittumblesoverrocksintodeeppools.Overhangingtreebrancheskeepwatercoolasfreshwatercontinuesitsjourney.
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Waterisnaturallyfilteredbythesoilandtreerootsindenseforestsasittravelstowardreservoirs.Thesun’sheatenergyreleasessomewatermoleculesbackintotheatmosphereasgas,continuingthehydrologiccycle.
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ThousandsofskilledworkersconstructeddamsandreservoirstostorelargeamountsofcleanwaterandaqueductstocarryitgreatdistancesbygravityfromwatershedstoNewYorkCity.
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The41-mileOldCrotonAqueductwasthefirsttodeliveracleanandplentifulsupplyofwatertoNewYorkCity.TheHighBridge,completedin1848andhailedasanengineeringmasterpiece,carriedtheaqueductacrosstheHarlemRiveronlargestonearches.
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WaterflowedthroughtheCrotonAqueduct,fillingreservoirswheretheGreatLawninCentralParkandtheNewYorkPublicLibraryonFifthAvenuenowstand.NewYorkersrejoicedin1862whenanotherreservoirwasbuiltinCentralParktosupporttheneedsofagrowingcity.
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Today,thousandsofmilesoftunnelsandpipesdeliveronebilliongallonsofwatereachdayfromtheCroton,Catskill,andDelawarewatershedstomorethan9millionpeople.Howdoyouusewater?Howmuchwaterdoyouthinkyouuse?
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Afterwaterisusedforcooking,bathing,andotheractivities,ittravelsdownthedrainandthroughsewerpipestowastewatertreatmentplantswhereitiscleanedandreturnedsafelytothewaterwayssurroundingNewYorkCity.
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Waterisallaroundus. Weexperienceitinmanydifferentwaysusingallofoursenses.Aswatercyclesthroughitsendlessjourney,weappreciatethatitwillcontinuetonourishusandalllivingthings.