New York City isn’t exactly synonymous with clear waters and swimming, but that’s all about to change. +POOL, an organisation that promotes equitable access to the waters surrounding NYC, is no longer floating the idea of a pool on New York’s river waters. It has received a $16 million funding to assist in creating the first urban river-sourced swim facility in the US. 

Come June this year, a 2,000-square-foot floating pool will be installed for testing. The location is yet to be finalised, but it will be set up in one of the rivers or bays surrounding New York City. If testing goes well, New Yorkers and tourists alike could be diving in as early as 2025. 

So what will +POOL be testing for? To ensure that its patented filtration system, which is designed to cycle through 1,000,000 gallons of river water and clean it up, sans chemicals or additives, will function as it anticipates. The company will also work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and borrow its water quality modeling software, to ensure the water maintains an acceptable microbiological standard for swimming. 

 

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The unique plus sign design of the pool is intentional. It will be four pools in one: a kids pool, sports pool, lap pool and lounge pool, catering to a range of swimmers, from novice to experienced. When two sections of the pool are combined it can form an Olympic-length pool. 

New York is not the only major city that is looking towards cleaning up rivers and harbour to create more swim spaces for the public. Paris is cleaning up the Seine River in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics, while Sydney is planning on opening up more of the harbour for swimming. 

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