Central Park Reservoir Due For Safety Inspection, City Says

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Don't be alarmed if you see some activity out in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir on Thursday and Friday, it's part of a routine safety inspection.

Small boats and divers from the city Department of Environmental Protection will be out in Central Park's largest body of water to conduct dam safety inspections that will inform the city about future plans for the reservoir, officials said.

While the body of water is called a "reservoir" it is not actually part of the city's drinking water system, officials said. All of the water that comes out of New York City's taps is brought in from a watershed made up of 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes located as far away as 125 miles from the city.

The safety inspection is the second time this summer that the city will be conducting work at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Between April and July the city drained the reservoir in order to upgrade water control valves inside one of the reservoir's gate houses. That work required the city to shut down some of the popular jogging paths near the body of water.

This week's dam safety inspections are not expected to disrupt any park activity near the reservoir, city officials said.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images