With above average temperatures this summer, stay hydrated with NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s Water-On-the-Go Program. Portable NYC water drinking fountains are currently being rotated between more than 20 locations such as public plazas, parks, GrowNYC Greenmarkets, busy sidewalks, and special events around the city. The fountains are hooked up to and removed from fire hydrants and include faucets for drinking, filling up bottles, as well as a separate pet faucets. This year the program has extended to all 5 boroughs to provide New Yorkers with free water. It is important to remember to stay hydrated on hot summer days, and the DEP is helping make that possible for more people.
According to the DEP’s June 18th press release, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said “Water-on-the-Go makes it easier for New Yorkers to swap sugar-sweetened beverages for the healthiest alternative of all, and with NYC Water, no portion is too big…It’s also true that your body needs more fluids during the warmer summer months in order to avoid dehydration and heat stroke, and there’s no better way to stay cool and quench your summer thirst than with calorie-free water.”
NYC Water also helps promote the efforts of PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s sustainability blueprint for the city; production of plastic water bottles for use in theUnited States uses 1.5 million barrels of oil a year — enough to power 250,000 homes or 100,000 cars all year.
Water-On-the-Go makes it easier than ever to find the nearest drinking fountain with the DEP’s iPhone/iPad mobile app, available for free download on the iTunes Store. You can also check out the daily schedule here. Last year more than 200,000 people (and many dogs) visited these drinking fountains and more than 108,000 people have visited them in the last month. For more information, visit www. nyc.gov/dep