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New Fundraising Campaign Launched For Floating Pool
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 2, 2012
Modified Oct 2, 2012
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 2, 2012
Modified Oct 2, 2012
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Last year a floating pool proposed for the East River got funded via a Kickstarter campaign to the tune of just over $41,000. The pool, called + POOL, is run by three guys who have now launched a second campaign, where they hope to raise $1 million in six months. Yesterday the people behind the project told us a little bit about what's going on, and where they hope they'll be by 2015 with all of this.
Your Kickstarter was funded last year, what has happened since then? The funding allowed us to spend six weeks testing filtration materials in the East River. We worked with Professor Wade McGillis' water quality research team and Columbia University to learn how to test across 19 different parameters, from color and PH to fecal coliform and entercocci counts. It was pretty amazing. And pretty gross after some of the big rain storms we got. After testing we were able to take the results and the amazing public support from Kickstarter to meet with and gain the support of city and state representatives, environmental protection agencies and waterfront advocacy organizations.
What are the next steps in making the pool happen? We just launched a new campaign called Everybody + POOL to raise $1million over the next 6 months. With that funding we'll be able to take the design and engineering of the pool closer to permitting and construction as well as build a public testing and exhibition pavilion where we'll be able to live test and showcase the pool's technology in a prototype pool in the river. There is still plenty to do of course, but this will be a major tipping point in getting + POOL into the water.
Would the pool stay in one place? Where would it be located? Right now we're designing for it to stay in one place. It's structurally similar to a barge so it could be towed to different locations, but that will depend as much on scheduling as it will on the added costs of moving it about. We're looking at and have been meeting with a few different waterfront parks including Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governor's Island and the Hudson River.
You would be using the river's water for the pool water — has the filtration system been completed? No not yet. We successfully tested what is basically one of three main filtration layers. We are planning on testing the entire package next summer, which is of course a major and exciting component that the Everybody + POOL campaign will fund.
When do you realistically expect the pool to become a reality? Fingers crossed, Summer 2015.
Tagged
east river
floating pool
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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