DEP Honors Student Arts and Poetry Contest - In-Person Event Honored Water Champions

NEW YORK CITY — The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) celebrated last night the student participants in the 39th Annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest. This year, DEP received more than 1,800 entries from over 2,000 second through twelfth grade students representing nearly 130 public, independent, and parochial schools in New York City and the East and West-of-Hudson watersheds.  Student entries beautifully depicted a genuine understanding of and appreciation for New York’s water resources, the drinking water supply, harbor water, wastewater treatment, and the importance of water conservation.  Student entries also raised awareness about the importance of maintaining New York City’s critical water supply and wastewater infrastructure. 

“The amazing art and powerful poetry in this year’s contest shine a light on the crucial work DEP staff do daily to safeguard our vital water resources,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “Tackling climate change demands bold, fresh ideas — and these young water ambassadors are already stepping up as the next wave of environmental leaders.” 

During the in-person event hosted at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens, the contest winners – called Water Champions – were honored for their outstanding work in the presence of family members and teachers.   

The celebration featured remarks and a poetry reading from guest speaker Kai Diata Giovanni, 2024-2025 NYC Youth Poet Laureate. Through paintings, haikus, collages, videos and more, students creatively depicted the importance of water, NYC’s drinking water supply and wastewater treatment systems, marine ecosystems, climate resiliency, and environmental stewardship.  A group of judges selected about 70 entries as this year’s Water Champions.   

All student participants will receive a certificate recognizing their contribution, and the Water Champions will also receive a gift bag from DEP and its partners (including a reusable bag, water bottle, Art & Poetry journal, field guides, garden passes, coloring books and more) before the end of the school year. This meaningful program is made possible with support from our education partners, including Con Edison, which has supported the celebration for the last 35 years. 

The 2025 contest focused on five central themes that incorporate STEM and humanities disciplines: 

Water, A Precious Resource: To recognize the importance of a clean and plentiful supply of water. 

New York City Water Supply System: To explore the history of the New York City Water Supply System and its present-day source, operation, delivery, protection and maintenance. 

New York City Wastewater Treatment System: To understand our sewer infrastructure; the purpose of, and process for, cleaning wastewater in New York City and in the East and West of Hudson Watersheds. 

Harbor Water Quality and Healthy Marine Ecosystems: To discover the richness of our marine life, and opportunities for recreation and commerce on local waterbodies; to understand the work that is being done to monitor and ensure healthy water quality. 

Water Stewardship and Climate Change: To consider our influence on the environment and how we can address and take action on environmental issues that influence our neighborhoods, our city, and beyond.  

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.