The Beautiful Puddles of New York

The Beautiful Puddles of New York

The Beautiful Puddles of New York

The Beautiful Puddles of New York

The Beautiful Puddles of New York

When we think of water, we imagine flow, and movement. Stagnant water and puddles are considered unsanitary forms of water, and have come to symbolize the vulnerability of society, or its state of self-reflection. 

When considering examples of stagnant water in New York, I thought of the iconic water towers that are scattered across the city’s urban landscape. The positioning of these types of ‘puddles’, high above the streets, make them unique from ordinary puddles; they have become part of the skyline of the city. There’s also a sense of nostalgia and an aesthetic attached to water towers that make people think of New York’s industrial past. But as the supply of drinking water for people that work and live in Manhattan, their success is questionable. 

What I find so interesting, and ironic, is that these water towers, which are loved by people living and visiting New York, have become breeding grounds for sediment, bacterial growth, rodent/bird activity, insects and debris. A survey done in March 2018 of 13000 water tanks shows the failures of building owners and landlords to provide the minimum requirement of maintaining the water tanks and providing their residents, and tenants with a clean source of drinking water.

Source: https://cityandstateny.com/new-york-city-water-tank-inspection-results

I have created hypothetical map of all the contaminated water towers of NY, with Central Park as a point of reference. The map is neither to scale, nor accurate in terms of exact locations. It also only shows water towers that are true to their iconic form. It does show, however, a general sense of where the water towers are most poorly maintained, and most contaminated.
 

When we think of water, we imagine flow, and movement. Stagnant water and puddles are considered unsanitary forms of water, and have come to symbolize the vulnerability of society, or its state of self-reflection. 

When considering examples of stagnant water in New York, I thought of the iconic water towers that are scattered across the city’s urban landscape. The positioning of these types of ‘puddles’, high above the streets, make them unique from ordinary puddles; they have become part of the skyline of the city. There’s also a sense of nostalgia and an aesthetic attached to water towers that make people think of New York’s industrial past. But as the supply of drinking water for people that work and live in Manhattan, their success is questionable. 

What I find so interesting, and ironic, is that these water towers, which are loved by people living and visiting New York, have become breeding grounds for sediment, bacterial growth, rodent/bird activity, insects and debris. A survey done in March 2018 of 13000 water tanks shows the failures of building owners and landlords to provide the minimum requirement of maintaining the water tanks and providing their residents, and tenants with a clean source of drinking water.

Source: https://cityandstateny.com/new-york-city-water-tank-inspection-results

I have created hypothetical map of all the contaminated water towers of NY, with Central Park as a point of reference. The map is neither to scale, nor accurate in terms of exact locations. It also only shows water towers that are true to their iconic form. It does show, however, a general sense of where the water towers are most poorly maintained, and most contaminated.
 

When we think of water, we imagine flow, and movement. Stagnant water and puddles are considered unsanitary forms of water, and have come to symbolize the vulnerability of society, or its state of self-reflection. 

When considering examples of stagnant water in New York, I thought of the iconic water towers that are scattered across the city’s urban landscape. The positioning of these types of ‘puddles’, high above the streets, make them unique from ordinary puddles; they have become part of the skyline of the city. There’s also a sense of nostalgia and an aesthetic attached to water towers that make people think of New York’s industrial past. But as the supply of drinking water for people that work and live in Manhattan, their success is questionable. 

What I find so interesting, and ironic, is that these water towers, which are loved by people living and visiting New York, have become breeding grounds for sediment, bacterial growth, rodent/bird activity, insects and debris. A survey done in March 2018 of 13000 water tanks shows the failures of building owners and landlords to provide the minimum requirement of maintaining the water tanks and providing their residents, and tenants with a clean source of drinking water.

Source: https://cityandstateny.com/new-york-city-water-tank-inspection-results

I have created hypothetical map of all the contaminated water towers of NY, with Central Park as a point of reference. The map is neither to scale, nor accurate in terms of exact locations. It also only shows water towers that are true to their iconic form. It does show, however, a general sense of where the water towers are most poorly maintained, and most contaminated.
 

When we think of water, we imagine flow, and movement. Stagnant water and puddles are considered unsanitary forms of water, and have come to symbolize the vulnerability of society, or its state of self-reflection. 

When considering examples of stagnant water in New York, I thought of the iconic water towers that are scattered across the city’s urban landscape. The positioning of these types of ‘puddles’, high above the streets, make them unique from ordinary puddles; they have become part of the skyline of the city. There’s also a sense of nostalgia and an aesthetic attached to water towers that make people think of New York’s industrial past. But as the supply of drinking water for people that work and live in Manhattan, their success is questionable. 

What I find so interesting, and ironic, is that these water towers, which are loved by people living and visiting New York, have become breeding grounds for sediment, bacterial growth, rodent/bird activity, insects and debris. A survey done in March 2018 of 13000 water tanks shows the failures of building owners and landlords to provide the minimum requirement of maintaining the water tanks and providing their residents, and tenants with a clean source of drinking water.

Source: https://cityandstateny.com/new-york-city-water-tank-inspection-results

I have created hypothetical map of all the contaminated water towers of NY, with Central Park as a point of reference. The map is neither to scale, nor accurate in terms of exact locations. It also only shows water towers that are true to their iconic form. It does show, however, a general sense of where the water towers are most poorly maintained, and most contaminated.
 

When we think of water, we imagine flow, and movement. Stagnant water and puddles are considered unsanitary forms of water, and have come to symbolize the vulnerability of society, or its state of self-reflection. 

When considering examples of stagnant water in New York, I thought of the iconic water towers that are scattered across the city’s urban landscape. The positioning of these types of ‘puddles’, high above the streets, make them unique from ordinary puddles; they have become part of the skyline of the city. There’s also a sense of nostalgia and an aesthetic attached to water towers that make people think of New York’s industrial past. But as the supply of drinking water for people that work and live in Manhattan, their success is questionable. 

What I find so interesting, and ironic, is that these water towers, which are loved by people living and visiting New York, have become breeding grounds for sediment, bacterial growth, rodent/bird activity, insects and debris. A survey done in March 2018 of 13000 water tanks shows the failures of building owners and landlords to provide the minimum requirement of maintaining the water tanks and providing their residents, and tenants with a clean source of drinking water.

Source: https://cityandstateny.com/new-york-city-water-tank-inspection-results

I have created hypothetical map of all the contaminated water towers of NY, with Central Park as a point of reference. The map is neither to scale, nor accurate in terms of exact locations. It also only shows water towers that are true to their iconic form. It does show, however, a general sense of where the water towers are most poorly maintained, and most contaminated.