The 90 acre Hillview Reservoir is supposed to be getting a $1.6 billion concrete roof with dirt and grass on top of it to shield the concrete from the sun. The goal is to keep bird droppings out of the city water supply. Is this really the right approach? Is this a wise investment?
There are many waste-producing creatures living in all of the NYC reservoirs and I can't see the Hillview reservoir as the only one that has birds dropping their waste into it. So, spending that kind of money on a roof for it seems outrageous to me. Many years ago, that reservoir was a great recreational spot for those in the area. Many people used to jog and walk around the path that encircles it. Kids used to sleigh-ride down the steep hills surrounding it. Of course, security concerns (long before Sept. 11, 2001) ended all that and resulted in a fenced off and patrolled reservoir.
