+ POOL is a “plus-shaped, water-filtering, floating swimming pool” planned for development in New York City’s East River. The floating swimming pool is planned to be filled with filtered water drawn from the East River, and also to return water back to the river after use. Advanced filters will treat the water as it enters and exits the pool, ensuring water safety and quality without chemical treatment. Given this complex design and the potential for bacterial contamination resulting from swimmers using the pool, + POOL called upon Gradient to evaluate the quality of the water to aid in identifying successful design strategies that reduce risk of waterborne illness.
Gradient used predictive modeling software from United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) to model potential enterococci contamination in the various sections of the + POOL. The results of Gradient’s modeling are being used to adjust the design parameters (including water filtration flow rate and water turnover in the pool, hours of operation, and swimmer capacity) to ensure that the water quality in the + Pool is consistent with state and local regulations for the protection of swimmers.
The + POOL mission is to “reclaim the river as a recreational resource for the City, while educating the public about issues affecting our water quality.” Gradient is pleased to be working alongside the +Pool and Arup teams on this innovative (and fun), water-filtering, floating swimming pool.