Jan. 30, 2019 By Laura Hanrahan
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is once again offering up an unconventional way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
The annual tour of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant’s digester eggs is back again this year, with registration opening tomorrow, Jan. 31.
DEP will be hosting four separate tours of the eggs on Saturday Feb. 9 at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., all in celebration of the international day of love.
Those interested in taking the tour will need to act fast, with registration typically filling up the same day it opens. Last year, all available spots were scooped up in less than five hours. This year, registration will open at noon on the DEP website.
For those who are able to snag a spot, the 30 minute tour will provide an overview of the wastewater treatment plant, followed by scenic views of the city from the 120-foot-high observation deck located on top of the eggs. The last tour of the day will also feature an opportunity to see the eggs lit up at night.
The tours are free and registration is open to any member of the public ages 12 and above.
The Newtown Creek plant, located at 329 Greenpoint Ave., first opened in 1967 and is the city’s largest sewage treatment facility. The plant also processes 310 million gallons of wastewater each day from approximately 1 million residents in north Brooklyn, western Queens, and parts of Manhattan.
The plant converts the organic materials from the waste into usable fertilizer.