Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

New York seeks plan for first floating ‘self-filtering’ pool in the East River

Project would revive tradition, when the river was dotted with free public baths, until pollution led to its demise in the 1930s
For decades, the water in New York’s rivers have been considered too filthy for swimming.

But the sight of people splashing about in front of the Manhattan skyline could again become a part of city life, following the launch of a project to revive swimming in the East River.

The city is inviting proposals for a “self-filtering” pool off lower Manhattan between Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges that would enable the public to safely swim in the middle of the city.

If the plan goes ahead, it would become one of America’s first urban river swimming facilities. It would also bring back a tradition that dates back to the late 19th century, when the East River was dotted with free public floating baths, until pollution led to their demise in the 1930s.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has put out a call for people “interested in developing, installing, and operating a self-filtering swim facility to be located in the East River off lower Manhattan”.

Among the organisations planning to submit a proposal is not-for-profit +Pool, which has created a design for what it believes is the world’s first water-filtering floating pool.

The concept was first conceived nearly nine years ago by a group of artists and architects. The plus-sign shaped, 9,000 sq ft design has four separate sections for sports, relaxing, laps and children that can also be combined to form an Olympic length pool.

Its chlorine-free filter system pushes river water through the walls of the pool, acting as a “giant strainer” that removes bacteria, odours and contaminants without removing the water’s salt content, and pushes clean water out. The organisation estimates the system can clean over 600,000 gallons of water per day.

Kara Meyer, the managing director of +Pool, said: “Swimming in natural water is a totally different experience. To be able to do it in such an iconic city like New York city is life-changing.”

+Pool has been working on this idea and advocating for it since 2010 – gaining widespread publicity in the process. Last month NYCEDC put out a “request for expressions of interest”, inviting interested parties to come forward with proposals by 1 November . Proposals have to demonstrate how the project would provide long-term access to the public to swim in the river, benefit the local community, how the filtration system would work and how they will finance construction, installation and running costs without funding from NYCEDC or the city.

While the request marks a significant step in the project, there are still many hurdles to overcome. The party that is chosen for the project will then enter into a “predevelopment agreement” when they will need to present their design and get all the necessary federal, state and city approvals and permits before construction can start.

Although the Clean Water Act has led to a vast improvement in the water quality of New York Harbour – “no one in our lifetime has seen it as clean and healthy”, according to the 2018 Harbour Water Quality Report, and there has been an increase in whale sightings – it still has an image problem.

“There’s a huge negative public perception on the waters around New York. There have been for quite some time. So a lot of the work that we’ve been doing as an educational organisation is just to share that that’s not necessarily true,” added Meyer.

According to early estimates, +Pool would cost $20m to create, funds which it plans to raise privately, and one year to build. Last week it launched a light installation in the river to indicate cleanliness that links to an online water quality “dashboard”.

The project reflects New Yorkers’ changing relationship with its waterways in recent years. The city has moved to improve access including waterfront parks and launched a citywide ferry service.

Allison Dees, the NYCEDC assistant vice-president, said: “We are excited to be examining the feasibility of a floating swimming facility in New York’s harbour, as it will promote a sustainable approach to enjoying our rivers and further activate our waterfront for the enjoyment of New Yorkers in a creative way.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×