How Newburgh, NY Makes Your Drinking Water | Full Water Plant Tour

Where does Newburgh's tap water come from, and what happens to it before it reaches your glass? Walk through the City of Newburgh water filtration plant with Water Superintendent Wayne Vradenburgh on a public tour during National Drinking Water Week (May 9, 2026). In this tour: Why Newburgh's water costs about one cent a gallon, and how it compared with bottled water in a lab test The 2016 PFAS state of emergency at Washington Lake, and the carbon (GAC) facility built in response: 18 vessels holding 40,000 pounds of carbon each Every treatment step: coagulation, floc, settling, filtration, chlorine, fluoride and corrosion control How phosphate protects against lead in old pipes, and the city's lead service line inventory 200+ years of history: Newburgh Water Works (est. 1806) and the original 1866 superintendent's report What you can do: ask the Water Department to test your water, read the annual water quality report (English, Spanish and Creole), and look for the white hard hat if you have a question on the street Newburgh has been on Catskill Aqueduct water since 2016. Washington Lake remains offline. CITY OF NEWBURGH WATER DEPARTMENT Office: 845-565-3356 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Water emergencies (water operator): 845-561-6080 493 Little Britain Road, Newburgh, NY 12550 Concerned about your water? Call and ask them to test it. TAKE THE FREE SELF-GUIDED EJ WATER TOUR (English and Spanish): https://outdoorpromise.org/watertour Learn more about PFAS in Newburgh's water: Newburgh Clean Water Project: https://newburghcleanwaterproject.org Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance Riverkeeper: https://www.riverkeeper.org CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro: water for one cent a gallon 0:20 Meet the water superintendent 1:41 Newburgh Water Works since 1806 3:12 The system by the numbers 3:59 2016: The PFAS emergency 5:19 Tap water vs. bottled water 7:43 How treatment works, lead and copper 9:10 The crew behind your tap 12:58 Where Newburgh's water comes from 13:32 Valves, hydrants and the raw water tank 16:55 The chlorine room 18:53 The operator on duty 20:57 Phosphate, Flint and lead protection 22:15 Coagulation, floc and settling 26:25 The filters 28:39 History: the 1866 superintendent's report 33:24 The carbon (GAC) facility 38:30 The last stop before your tap 39:44 Analyzers and the control room 42:23 "They rely on us" 44:25 Distribution and a 1700s wooden water main 46:28 Protecting the watershed 47:16 Smart meters and tips for your home 50:00 "This is your department" 50:37 Credits Filmed by Outdoor Promise with thanks to the City of Newburgh Water Department. Part of "Newburgh's Water: Flowing Through Time," an Outdoor Promise program on Newburgh's water history and environmental justice. Outdoor Promise is an environmental justice nonprofit in Newburgh, NY. https://outdoorpromise.org --- EN ESPAÑOL: ¿De dónde viene el agua de la llave en Newburgh? Recorre la planta de filtración de agua de la Ciudad de Newburgh con el superintendente de agua Wayne Vradenburgh, durante una visita pública en la Semana Nacional del Agua Potable (9 de mayo de 2026). Video en inglés. Departamento de Agua de la Ciudad de Newburgh: 845-565-3356 (oficina) y 845-561-6080 (emergencias). Parte de "El agua de Newburgh: fluyendo a través del tiempo", de Outdoor Promise. Haz el recorrido autoguiado gratuito, en inglés y español: https://outdoorpromise.org/watertour --- This project is funded in part by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of Environmental Justice. The opinions, results, findings, and/or interpretations of data contained herein are the responsibility of Outdoor Promise and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policy of the State of New York. #NewburghNY #DrinkingWater #WaterTreatment