Plans to bring a self-filtering floating pool to the East River are taking a small step this month. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have named Pier 35 on the Lower East Side as the official location for +POOL, a first-of-its-kind swimming pool that uses a unique filtration system to ensure safe swimming. A three-month water filtration demonstration project is set to begin this month, thanks to joint funding from the city and state. A prototype of the +POOL structure could be ready by summer 2025.

The nonprofit +POOL first proposed a self-filtering floating pool in 2010. The group has been collaborating with the city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and local stakeholders for more than a decade to create a plan, analyze the city’s water quality, and determine the best location for the pool.

In May 2021, +POOL received approval to move forward with the creation of a +POOL on the south side of Pier 35 in the Lower East Side. In January, Hochul and Adams committed $16 million to the nonprofit group.

Starting this month, the filtration demonstration project at Pier 35 will test water quality and evaluate requirements from the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to “ensure that this innovative model can provide safe swimming access.” The data will be publicly available and evaluated by the city.

According to the nonprofit, the scaled-down version of the filtration system is mounted on a 110-foot-by-36-foot floating barge located south of Pier 35. The system will bring raw river water “to an acceptable microbiological standard for swimming.”

Following the pilot filtration system, a 2,000 square metre section of the filtering pool and its technology are aimed to be put into service by the summer of 2025.

“The cross-agency and community collaboration to bring NYC’s first water-filtered floating pool to life was incredible,” said Kara Meyer, General Manager of +POOL. “It shows New York at its best when people work together to advocate for change, improve systems, design solutions, test concepts, and build innovations. That’s what makes New York, New York.”

The structure of the pool is plus-shaped and has four pools in one: children’s pool, sports pool, lap pool and relaxation pool. The walls filter the river water and remove all bacteria and pollutants, leaving behind safe swimming water.

The innovative swimming pool is part of the governor’s broader effort to expand access to swimming across the state. Hochul plans to build public pools in high-need areas, including urban settings, and invest in the maintenance of parks and pools across NY.

“With innovative solutions like +POOL, we’re providing kids and their families with safe spaces to swim in New York City,” Hochul said. “NY SWIMS is the largest statewide investment in swimming since the New Deal, and we’re increasing access to pools while helping our kids learn how to stay safe in the water.”

NY SWIMS will provide $150 million in public funds to build 10 new historic swimming pools in underserved areas and communities at highest risk of extreme heat events. The program will also encourage the creation of innovative pool designs like +POOL and install temporary pop-up pools.

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