The Central Park Conservancy, New York City and New York State broke ground on October 26, 2026, on the $35.7 million North End Recirculation Project. The system will connect the Harlem Meer, the Loch and the Pool into a storm-ready water network that keeps about 132 million gallons a year out of the sewers serving Harlem and East Harlem.
Key Takeaways
- The system will lower the Harlem Meer ahead of forecast storms so the water body can absorb incoming rainfall.
- Stormwater flows to City sewers from the park’s 204-acre north end watershed are expected to drop by 90%.
- The project will save an estimated 175 million gallons of drinking water a year, which currently tops up the three water bodies.
- Funding combines City capital, a $10 million State Green Resiliency Grant and $3.5 million from Conservancy donors.
- Construction is expected to finish in fall 2028.
Recirculation System Lowers The Harlem Meer Before Storms Arrive
The North End Recirculation Project works in two modes. In dry weather, water will be pumped from the Harlem Meer to a point just south of the Pool, then flow back through the Loch and into the Meer by gravity, filtering and circulating along the way.
When a major storm is in the forecast, the system switches roles. It draws the Meer down in advance, opening space to hold incoming rain. As the storm passes, rainwater refills the Meer and the other water bodies instead of rushing into the street drains. Once conditions return to normal, regular recirculation resumes.
Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith described it as “the kind of work that most people will never see.” Visitors walking past the Meer in 2029 may notice cleaner water, but the pumps and pipes doing the work will sit out of view.
Runoff From 204 Park Acres Feeds Harlem’s Combined Sewers Today
The North End Recirculation Project targets a problem built into the city’s older infrastructure. Much of New York City relies on combined sewers, where rainwater and household wastewater share the same pipes. During heavy rain, that shared system can back up into streets and basements.
Right now, the Pool, the Loch and the Harlem Meer are fed continuously by City drinking water, which then drains into a sewer on Fifth Avenue. Stormwater from the park’s north end follows the same path into the combined sewers serving Harlem and East Harlem. The new system is designed to cut those flows by 90% across a 204-acre watershed, removing a steady source of pressure on neighborhood pipes.
The timing reflects a wet year. According to the City, New York has spent one in three days so far in 2026 under a flash flood activation, a pattern residents saw again during the weekend nor’easter that put the region under a state of emergency.
The project does not promise that any specific Harlem block will stop flooding. What it changes is the volume of park runoff entering the system during storms, which gives the surrounding sewers more room when rain is heaviest.
Olmsted And Vaux Water Bodies Take On A Flood Control Role
The Pool, the Loch and the Harlem Meer were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and built between 1862 and 1865 as an interconnected chain. Water flows from the Pool through the Ravine in the North Woods, down the Loch’s small cascades and into the Meer at the park’s northeast corner.
The North End Recirculation Project keeps that 160-year-old design intact while giving it a second job. NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia said the system gives Central Park “more control over these water bodies,” allowing them to store stormwater rather than simply pass it along.
Because Central Park is a designated scenic landmark, the project went through public review. The Landmarks Preservation Commission issued an advisory report in support, and the Public Design Commission granted final design approval in December 2024. All five community boards surrounding the park also back the project.
Project Saves 175 Million Gallons Of Drinking Water A Year
The water savings are as significant as the flood benefits. City drinking water is currently the primary source keeping the three water bodies full. Once the North End Recirculation Project is running, the park will reuse its own water instead, conserving an estimated 175 million gallons of potable water each year.
Recirculation should also improve water quality. Moving water is less hospitable to the harmful algal blooms that form in the Meer and the Pool during warm months, which NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura tied to “the health of the park’s waterways.”
City, State And Donor Funding Covers The $35.7 Million Cost
The North End Recirculation Project draws on several sources. New York City is contributing more than $19.6 million in capital funding, including $14.2 million from DEP. The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation awarded a $10 million Green Resiliency Grant funded by the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
Additional allocations include $2 million from City Council Speaker Julie Menin, $500,000 from Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal and $100,000 from Council Member Gale Brewer. Central Park Conservancy donors contributed the remaining $3.5 million.
East Harlem Residents Helped Shape The State Grant
The State funding came out of community planning. Through the City’s Climate Strong Communities program, the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice worked with East Harlem residents, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Community Board 11 to identify how the neighborhood should handle heavy rain. NYC Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung said that process helped secure the $10 million State investment, with the goal of fewer flooded streets and more drinking water saved.
Construction Continues Through Fall 2028
The North End Recirculation Project is expected to be completed in fall 2028. It continues the Conservancy’s long-running restoration of the park’s north end, which includes the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, opened in 2025 on the site of the former Lasker Rink and Pool, and ongoing work on the Meer’s shoreline. The announcement did not detail construction-related path closures, so park users should check with the Central Park Conservancy for access updates near the Meer and the Pool.
FAQs
What Is The Harlem Meer?
The Harlem Meer is a lake in the northeast corner of Central Park, near Fifth Avenue and 110th Street. Designed by Olmsted and Vaux and built in the 1860s, it is the last stop in a chain of water bodies that begins at the Pool and runs through the Loch.
How Will The North End Recirculation Project Reduce Flooding In Harlem?
The system lowers the Harlem Meer before major storms so it can hold incoming rain instead of sending it into the sewers. It is expected to keep about 132 million gallons a year out of local sewers and cut stormwater flows from the park’s north end by 90%.
Who Is Paying For The Central Park North End Recirculation Project?
The $35.7 million cost is shared by New York City capital funding, a $10 million New York State Green Resiliency Grant, City Council and Borough President allocations, and $3.5 million from Central Park Conservancy donors.
When Will The North End Recirculation Project Be Finished?
Completion is expected in fall 2028, following the October 26, 2026, groundbreaking.
