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Council Member Gail Brewer proposes at least 50 new park drinking fountains by 2035
Summary
Intro 573a would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to install at least 50 outdoor drinking fountains in public parks by June 1, 2035; Council Member Gail Brewer cited local maintenance problems and participatory-budgeting experience in support.
Council Member Gail Brewer introduced Intro 573a on the floor, a bill that would require the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) to install at least 50 outdoor drinking fountains in public parks no later than June 1, 2035.
Brewer said the purpose is to provide free refillable water access so New Yorkers do not have to buy single-use bottled water. She noted the water supply is safe and praised city departments for the quality of New York City’s water, but said access is limited by a lack of functioning fountains — she cited a recent hearing where a parks official said nearly 100 fountains in Riverside Park were not working or were merely dripping.
Brewer also recounted a participatory budgeting allocation in her district that provided $375,000 originally intended for five fountains in Riverside Park but ultimately paid for only three, as an example of the actual costs and funding gaps.
The transcript records sponsor remarks only; no vote, fiscal analysis, or maintenance funding source is recorded in the floor record.
