Numerous visits to CD12 confirmed that hydrants were getting a lot of unauthorized use during the summer. People often stand in line for an hour or more waiting to be admitted. The lone municipal pool in the district, which can handle about 2,400 visitors a day, has to serve the district’s 50,000+ kids under the age of 18. Despite the acres of parks, CD12 has one of the lowest percentages of tree canopy cover in the city. However, major highways run through the parks and steep elevation changes (up to 150’) make it a challenge to access much of the parkland and waterfront. Looking at a map one would think that this area, the skinniest part of the island, surrounded by the Hudson and East Rivers and large swaths of park, would have plenty of shady opportunities for recreation. At $6.30 per minute, three hours romping in the local hydrant would run just over $1,000 – which does not take into account extra costs associated with man-hours required to close, repair, or replace broken hydrants.īeyond the obvious temperature driver, it became apparent that the physical environment of CD12 contributes to the frequent open hydrants. If hydrants were metered to charge an on the spot pay-to-play fee, the water would cost $2 per minute plus an additional $4.30 per minute to take the water into the city’s treatment system for cleaning. We currently pay indirectly for water expended from a hydrant through water rate hikes. On top of public safety issues, the water is not free. Water pressure in nearby buildings is also affected, causing problems for hospitals, local businesses, and residents. When a hydrant is fully open, water pressure in the surrounding hydrants drops, rendering them ineffective in their primary role as sources of water for firefighting. Opening the hydrant without a spray cap is illegal and citizens can be ticketed or fined for what the city terms ‘hydrant abuse’. Holes in the cap on the barrel’s side reduce the flow of water from 1,000 to 25 gallons per minute. Chief among these is the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is responsible for maintaining the hydrants.Ĭitizens are allowed to use their local hydrant only if it is equipped with a spray cap, provided and installed by the fire department at no charge. After being filtered and treated, the water delivered to our kitchen sinks is identical to the water flowing to a hydrant – it is all potable water.Īt least 60 different boards, agencies, and committees across city and state borders form a complex web of organizations that manages the vast operations of the NYC water system. 21 reservoirs and lakes collect, hold, and distribute water into a system of aqueducts and tunnels that travel over 125 miles to deliver more than 1.3 billion gallons of water to the city every day (an amount that would fill the Empire State Building to the brim more than four times). The city’s water originates in upstate watersheds encompassing more than 2,000 square miles of land. The first step in my research was to understand how the hydrant worked and fit into the New York City water supply system. We have reviewed our content for bias and company-wide, we routinely meet with national experts to educate ourselves on better ways to deliver accessible content.įor 15 years our company has published content with clear steps to accomplish the how, with high quality sourcing to answer the why, and with original formats to make the internet a helpful place.Unless they are uncapped, or you’re in a car looking for a momentary parking space, hydrants disappear into the white noise of miscellaneous street appurtenances. Our commitment is to provide clear, original, and accurate information in accessible formats. We are incredibly worried about the state of general information available on the internet and strongly believe our mission is to give voice to unsung experts leading their respective fields. Our content experts ensure our topics are complete and clearly demonstrate a depth of knowledge beyond the rote. We perform original research, solicit expert feedback, and review new content to ensure it meets our quality pledge: helpful content – Trusted, Vetted, Expert-Reviewed and Edited. We write helpful content to answer your questions from our expert network. Reviewed by Michelle Seidel, B.Sc., LL.B./JD, MBA
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