https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croton_Aqueduct

The Croton Aqueduct was a groundbreaking 19th-century engineering project that brought fresh water to New York City from the Croton River in Westchester County. It was one of the first major municipal water systems in the United States and a crucial public health and infrastructure improvement for a rapidly growing urban population.

 Key Facts about the Croton Aqueduct:

Completed: 1842 (Old Croton Aqueduct)

 Length: About 41 miles (66 km)

 Route: From Croton River (via the Croton Dam) to a reservoir in Manhattan (today’s Bryant Park area)

 Purpose: To supply clean water to New York City, where contaminated wells and water sources had led to repeated cholera and fire disasters

 Designer: Chief Engineer John B. Jervis

 Construction: Used gravity to transport water downhill through masonry tunnels and iron pipes, crossing valleys on bridges and even over the Harlem River via the High Bridge

 

Significance:

Public Health: Helped reduce outbreaks of cholera and other diseases

 

Fire Prevention: Provided a reliable water source for firefighting in a city prone to large fires

 

Urban Growth: Supported the city’s rapid expansion during the 19th century

 

Engineering Feat: The High Bridge, the oldest standing bridge in NYC, was part of the aqueduct system

 

Legacy:

The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park preserves parts of the original aqueduct route today.

 

A New Croton Aqueduct was built in the 1890s to meet rising demand and is still in use.

a concise infographic-style breakdown of the Croton Aqueduct with a visual-friendly structure. If you're using this for a project or presentation, this format works well as a slide or handout.

 The Croton Aqueduct: NYC’s 19th-Century Water Revolution

 Why It Was Needed

Population boom in NYC (from ~60,000 in 1800 to ~300,000 by 1840)

Wells & cisterns polluted: led to cholera, typhoid, and fires

Desperate need for clean, reliable water

Engineering Marvel (Old Croton Aqueduct)

Completed: 1842

Length: 41 miles from Croton River (Westchester) to Manhattan

Designer: John B. Jervis

Method: Gravity-fed flow, mostly underground brick tunnels

Key Feature: The High Bridge (1848) — NYC's oldest bridge

Croton River (Reservoir)

       ↓

Tunnels through Westchester

       ↓

Crosses Harlem River via High Bridge

       ↓

Terminus: Manhattan Receiving Reservoir (now Bryant Park)

       ↓

Distributed to fountains, hydrants, and households

Impact

Improved public health: reduced cholera & disease

 Faster fire response: pressurized hydrants installed

 Enabled NYC growth into a modern metropolis

Legacy: Old aqueduct trail = today's Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park

Follow-up: The New Croton Aqueduct

Built: 1890–1893

Still in use today

Supplemented by other systems (Catskill, Delaware)