July 3, 2019

Fountains will be in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge Park for the Fourth of July Celebration

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the launch of the 2019 Water-On-the-Go Program, which places portable NYC Water drinking fountains at public plazas, busy pedestrian areas, and parks around the city during the summer months. The fountains will also be available for special events such as the NYC Pride March and Fourth of July Celebration. New York City is fortunate to enjoy the best tasting tap water in New York State, as the City earned first place in the 2018 New York State Tap Water Taste Test competition.

“Nothing beats the champagne of tap water—and we deliver 1 billion gallons of it from the Catskills and Hudson Valley to the five boroughs of New York City every single day,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Keep a look out for our bright blue NYC Water tents and stop by for a refreshing drink. You’ll save yourself some money and help protect our environment at the same time!”

“It’s important to stay hydrated during hot summer weather,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “DEP’s Water-On-the-Go program will give New Yorkers greater ability to stay hydrated and enjoy the outdoors.”

The Water-On-the-Go fountains will be available at various locations around the city through Labor Day and are easily spotted with their accompanying bright blue NYC Water tents. A weekly schedule with detailed times and locations is available at nyc.gov/dep/events. In addition to operating fountains at flagship locations such as Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 1, Union Square and City Hall, DEP is collaborating with community groups and green markets, including GrowNYC, to identify strategic locations in all five boroughs to expand the reach and accessibility of the program. Anyone interested in requesting a Water-On-the –Go fountain for a special event can contact nycwater@dep.nyc.gov.

New York City is one of only five large cities in the country permitted to run a largely unfiltered drinking water supply, due in large part to the City’s comprehensive watershed protection programs. In addition, DEP has a robust water quality monitoring program, testing the water at every step along its journey, from the streams that feed the reservoirs to the 1,000 street-side sampling locations throughout the five boroughs. In total, DEP conducts more than 654,000 analyses of the water annually. To learn more about NYC Water, read the Drinking Water Supply & Quality Report.

Drinking tap water is the environmentally responsible way to stay hydrated as the production of plastic water bottles for use in the United States consumes 1.5 million barrels of oil a year—enough to power 250,000 homes or 100,000 cars all year. At approximately one penny per gallon, tap water is about 1,000 times less expensive than bottled water. NYC Water is also a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages, containing zero calories, zero sugar, and zero fat. A typical 16-ounce bottle of soda contains about 180 calories and 20 cubes of sugar. Sports drinks, marketed as healthy alternatives, have as many calories as sugary beverages and usually contain high levels of sodium.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9.6 million residents, including 8.6 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 has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.