New Public Hydrant uses design to overcome public misperceptions of the city’s hydrant water. The design prototypes bring attention to possibilities for improvement of overlooked, local water infrastructures on the one hand, while simultaneously engaging what it means to drink locally...How might publics reimagine these small-scale urban elements to serve in day-to-day situations, rather than solely in the case of emergency? — Urban Omnibus
Inspired by the NY Department of Environmental Protection’s Water on the Go initiative, Tei Carpenter and Christopher Woebken created the New Public Hydrant project, which explores how New York City's fire hydrants can be augmented to provide public access to the city's drinking water supply. The project proposes three hydrant design “hacks”: a sprinkler that lets multiple people refresh underneath an adjustable water canopy, a bottle-filling station, and a water fountain that humans and animals can access. Carpenter and Woebken also show how people around the world have already “hacked” the hydrants in their cities to expand public access to drinking water.
9 Comments
Wont work. It would be a public health hazzard. I've stopped drinking water in coffee houses when they have a self serve water station. Why? See the guy in the photo? Most people will insert the faucet into their water bottle and then move the faucet to the side, interior of their bottle to "anchor" it to avoid spilling. Can't tell you how often I've seen this unhygienic manner of filling up a used personal water bottle in a public space.
Same goes for the water cooler at work.
My opinion when designing anything for public spaces; first design for the knuckleheads. Then move on to function and aesthetics of the industrial design.
You must have a hard time with door handles?
what a wanker
He works for Smart Water (Coca-Cola).
can always just make the tap wider...
anyway...does anyone know if they flush the hydrants regularly to prevent stagnant water/legionella...it is a dead end afterall?
what happens in the winter when it freezes?
seems like we can skip retrofitting the hydrants and just install drinkwater points that have a start stop mechanism...that lever proposed can be left open and water wasted like a normal sink tap...or does it have some kind of spring loaded auto close?
That's one from Join the Pipe: https://join-the-pipe.org/eng/
yeah i like it, good design
city kids play with hydrants for decades...cops yell at them...hipsters move in “hey, let me help you, here’s a faucet”. Jus sayin
1. New york City fire hydrants do not meet the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act. Not even new hydrants. In Dec. 2013 Chuck Schumer had Congress exempt NYC replacement fire hydrants to meet the EPA regulation. He was even quoted as saying it was "ridiculous".
2. Look at the base of the fire hydrant in the photo. There is a huge water mark on the pavement due to leaks on the hydrant. This is a huge waste of water.
3. In the event of a fire, this would impead access to the hydrant. The NYFD would have to shut the hydrant, deenergize the hydrant, remove the drinking fountain and then connect. When every second counts this would be an eternity.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.