Source to Spout:
The Water Fountain Project
The Water Fountain Project
June – November 2021
wrapped in photograph of Ashokan Reservoir.
Source to Spout features a series of photographs, of the watersheds and reservoirs where New York City’s
drinking water originates, wrapped around drinking fountains in Riverside Park on Manhattan’s West Side. The installation uses photography to raise issues concerning the global water crisis, asking locals to consider where their water comes from, and to reconsider single use plastic bottles, when water fountains offer free refills.
Over 1 billion gallons of water per day flows from the upstate region depicted in Source to Spout‘s photography to the NYC. This vital infrastructure was originally envisioned by forward thinking planners in the early 19th century after rampant cholera outbreaks. To this day, all New Yorkers depend on this (expanded) water supply system, and its stewards, even if they are unaware of its existence and the implications for public health.
Photographs
Adrian Sas began photographing the Delaware, Catskill and Croton Watersheds in 2019. She was inspired by their natural beauty and the ingenuity and forethought represented in their constructed counterparts which together comprise NYC’s water supply system. Over the course of two years she documented dozens of reservoirs which feed New York City. This photography is now wrapped around 10 drinking fountains in Riverside Park. The top carousel displays the photographs themselves, while the bottom carousel displays their placement in the park.
Location
Riverside Park runs along the Hudson River on Manhattan’s West Side. Watersheds on both sides of the river and an aqueduct which lies beneath it, funnel fresh, clean water to drinking fountains in the park, as well as taps in our homes and fire hydrants on our streets.
From June to October 2021, ten fountains from 64th Street to 147th Street in Riverside Park will be wrapped in photographs depicting NYC’s water supply system.
Tap Water
New York City’s tap water is world renowned. Source to Spout amplifies the visibility of public drinking fountains, increasing their appeal as hydration alternatives to single use plastic bottles. Now you can carry a #SourcetoSpout reusable water bottle, labeled with images depicting the wellspring of your tap water.
Support
Source to Spout is part of the NYC Parks Arts in the Parks program and is supported by the Riverside Park Conservancy.
The installation is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with and administered by LMCC.
