File #: Int 0900-2024    Version: Name: Requiring the installation of outdoor drinking fountains in parks under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation and in other public places.
Type: Introduction Status: Laid Over in Committee
Committee: Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency and Waterfronts
On agenda: 5/16/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law in relation to requiring the installation of outdoor drinking fountains in parks under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation and in other public places
Sponsors: Keith Powers , Erik D. Bottcher, Sandy Nurse, Shekar Krishnan, Shaun Abreu, James F. Gennaro, Justin L. Brannan, Sandra Ung, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Gale A. Brewer, Shahana K. Hanif, Carmen N. De La Rosa, Julie Menin, Lynn C. Schulman, Carlina Rivera , Christopher Marte, Diana I. Ayala, Crystal Hudson, Tiffany Cabán, Rita C. Joseph, Chi A. Ossé, Chris Banks, Alexa Avilés, Nantasha M. Williams, Amanda Farías, Mercedes Narcisse
Council Member Sponsors: 26
Summary: This bill would require the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) to install, replace, or upgrade 500 outdoor drinking fountains by 2035. The bill would require such fountains to have bottle filling stations and be accessible to people with disabilities. Additionally, Parks would be required to report the locations of the 500 fountains, and assess the feasibility of year-round outdoor drinking fountains. The bill would also require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the Department of Transportation, to install 10 new outdoor drinking fountains in public places other than parks within communities that are underserved by publicly accessible drinking fountains. Finally, DEP would be required to make recommendations on whether the program should be expanded, and what challenges and issues are presented by the program.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 900-A, 2. Summary of Int. No. 900, 3. Int. No. 900, 4. May 16, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 5. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 5-16-24, 6. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - May 16, 2024, 7. Committee Report 10/28/24, 8. Hearing Testimony 10/28/24, 9. Hearing Transcript 10/28/24, 10. Proposed Int. No. 900-A - 4/17/25

Proposed Int. No. 900-A

 

By Council Members Powers, Bottcher, Nurse, Krishnan, Abreu, Gennaro, Brannan, Ung, Gutiérrez, Brewer, Hanif, De La Rosa, Menin, Schulman, Rivera, Marte, Ayala, Hudson, Cabán, Joseph, Ossé, Banks, Avilés, Williams, Farías and Narcisse

 

A Local Law in relation to requiring the installation of outdoor drinking fountains in parks under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation and in other public places

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:

Outdoor drinking fountain. The term “outdoor drinking fountain” means a plumbing fixture installed outside of a building or structure that allows a user to obtain a drink directly from a stream of flowing potable water without the use of any accessories.

Park. The term “park” means a park under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation.

§ 2. a. The commissioner of parks and recreation shall install, replace, or upgrade no less than 500 outdoor drinking fountains in parks no later than May 1, 2035, provided that such commissioner shall install, replace, or upgrade no less than 300 of such outdoor drinking fountains in parks no later than May 1, 2031.

b. Each outdoor drinking fountain installed, replaced, or upgraded pursuant to this section shall be accessible to a person with disabilities and allow a user to fill a reusable water bottle or other container.

c. The commissioner of parks and recreation shall not count an outdoor drinking fountain that, before the effective date of this local law, was accessible to a person with disabilities and allowed a user to fill a reusable water bottle or other container, toward the number of outdoor drinking fountains this section requires such commissioner to install, replace, or upgrade.

d. No later than August 1, 2035, the commissioner of parks and recreation shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report that includes, but need not be limited to, the location of each outdoor drinking fountain installed, replaced, or upgraded pursuant to this section, and an assessment of the feasibility of installing and maintaining outdoor drinking fountains that operate year-round in parks.

§ 3. a. The commissioner of environmental protection, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, shall establish a program to install outdoor drinking fountains in public places under the jurisdiction of an agency other than the department of parks and recreation. No later than May 1, 2032, such program shall install no less than 1 outdoor drinking fountain in each of 10 community districts that the commissioner of environmental protection, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, has determined are underserved by publicly accessible outdoor drinking fountains, in consideration of factors including, but not limited to, the population of such a community district and the number of outdoor drinking fountains installed in such a community district before the effective date of this local law.

b. Each outdoor drinking fountain installed pursuant to this section shall be accessible to a person with disabilities and allow a user to fill a reusable water bottle or other container.

c. No later than May 1, 2028, the commissioner of environmental protection, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council that identifies the locations where such program has determined to install each outdoor drinking fountain required to be installed pursuant to this section. 

d. No later than August 1, 2032, the commissioner of environmental protection, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a report about the program established pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, recommendations for expanding access to outdoor drinking fountains in communities underserved by publicly accessible outdoor drinking fountains. Such report shall also identify any challenges relating to the implementation of such program.

§ 4. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

NAW/NNB

LS #13289/15348

4/16/2025 8:16 PM