Cost of Fountains in Riverside Park Raises Eyebrows

Taxpayers are looking at a staggering $375,000 bill just for two new fountains in Riverside Park, Manhattan.

This hefty price tag includes extensive excavation needed to navigate around tree roots, and the installation of new piping and safety fencing, according to the city’s Parks Department.

Gordon Shum, a project manager for the park, mentioned during a community board meeting in October that the existing fountains, which are quite old and in poor condition, will be replaced with new fountains featuring double stainless steel bowls that will meet ADA requirements.

He noted that the installation is slated for next year, and it will also involve adding a backflow prevention box to adhere to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection standards, which are necessary for safeguarding the water supply.

Margaret Bracken, who heads design and construction for Riverside Park Conservancy, pointed out that a significant portion of the funding is necessary just to fulfill these current DEP requirements.

She commented, “Installing drinking fountains sounds straightforward, but it turns out to be a very expensive task.” Her work, as it happens, spans both the park service and this project.

The existing fountains have been around for about 90 years, as Bracken mentioned in a meeting last year.

The editorial piece published in the Washington Post recently highlighted not only the surprising costs but also the bureaucracy that inflated them, suggesting that government expenditures have spiraled out of control.

John Schochet from the Manhattan Community Board expressed that “seemingly reasonable requirements accumulate into something unreasonable.” Interestingly, the budget that was put together by Councilwoman Gale Brewer’s office was initially meant to cover five bottle-refilling stations, but it was revised to only two drinking fountains.

Schochet lamented that “replacing the two drinking fountains at Riverside Park will take three years from initial funding to full completion,” a sentiment that, I think, resonates with many who follow local government efficiency closely.

“This issue reflects a deeper organizational culture problem that legislative adjustments or restructuring won’t easily fix. The Parks Department should be able to provide those five hydration stations that the community voted for within three years and within budget constraints,” he added.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from the Park Service regarding these comments.