The Upper West Side Has A Water Fountain Problem, Lawmaker Says

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Thirsty?

If you're looking for a working water fountain in Central Park or on the Upper West Side, you might be out of luck, according to a new survey from New York City Councilmember Gale Brewer's office.

Brewer, who represents District 6 which includes Central Park, Riverside Park, and much of the Upper West Side, sent a team out between July 8 and July 28 to survey 216 water fountains in her district, measuring for overall cleanliness, and speedy drainage and water flow.

The list of 216 water fountains came from city data and a map made by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Brewer said.

Most notably, her team found that 17 of these fountains had no water flow whatsoever.

And, of the 132 Central Park water fountains her team evaluated, around one-in-four did not drain properly, making it difficult to fill a water bottle or drink without coming into contact with the faucet.

Furthermore, 14 percent of the Central Park water fountains took more than 20 seconds to fill a 12-ounce bottle, with one water fountain taking close to one minute, Brewer said in a letter addressed to the New York City Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa.

"My council district is home to the entirety of Central Park, parts of Riverside Park, and many public playgrounds where access to free and clean water is essential," Brewer said in the letter.

"Considering the amount of outdoor activity during the summer, it is imperative to not only have basic access to water for health and safety, but also to have the ability to refill personal water bottles to reduce dependence on single-use plastics."

Over in Riverside Park, 26 percent of water fountains surveyed did not work in any capacity, and 32 percent did not drain properly due to sand in the basins, Brewer said.

In smaller playgrounds across the district — including schoolyards — 20 percent of water fountains did not work, Brewer said.

Her office also found that on the city's map, 17 water fountains were unusable due to construction, 15 were inaccessible because they are located inside Parks Department offices, and 17 listed as water fountains in City materials were not water fountains at all, Brewer said in the letter.

A spokesperson from NYC Parks told Patch the department is working to address the issues raised by Brewer, but didn't respond to Patch's question about why the fountains were not working properly.

"NYC Parks is committed to providing important amenities like drinking fountains and is proud to offer over 3,400 exterior water fountains throughout the park system, making it the largest provider of clean drinking water for New Yorkers outside in the city," Kelsey Jean-Baptiste, a spokesperson for the Parks department, told Patch.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.