Dumpster Pools: Cool possibility for Jacksonville?

[Jumpinjack]

A dumpster pool? Sounds trashy and nasty. Not so. In NYC pool parties and country clubs are hard to come by. Enter an enterprising developer with an excess of unused dumpsters and a creative turn of mind. Dumpsters are cleaned and lined with plastic; a few deck chairs, an umbrella or two, some twinkle lights and voila, a neighborhood pool.


Now, it looks like the city is going at this in a big way. Mayor Bloomberg is opening 3 public dumpster pools on Park Avenue. August Saturdays in NY are going to be a lot cooler when you have a chance to splash. This is part of the highly successful Summer Streets Initiative in NY which sponsors downtown events, bringing money to businesses at a slow time and highlights downtown liveability.

The pools, which will be open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., are part of the city’s Summer Streets initiative, now entering its third year, which closes off long stretches of Park Avenue and other streets to cars and trucks....

At no cost to the city, Macro-Sea, the Brooklyn company that designed the Dumpster pools, is converting the containers, which will be cleaned and have protective liners. As is the case with any other above-ground pool, a water filtration system will be installed, and the Department of Health will need to sign off on a permit, said David Belt, president of Macro-Sea.

Crunch, the fitness gym, will donate lifeguards, Ms. Sadik-Khan said.

At the end of each Saturday, the deck will drop to the sides and the pools will be covered by a heavy-duty mesh. The containers will then sit curbside, as if they were Dumpsters at a construction project â€" except that there will not be debris, but rather water, inside. The containers will be locked.

Could we see something like this to promote summer fun in Jacksonville? There must be lots of empty unused  dumpsters available in this town too. Could Main Street redesign include pools for the months of July and August?

[I-10east]

This brings a whole new meaning to the term "dumpster diving". I know, it was predictable, and cheesy. LOL.

[fieldafm]

Saw this a few weeks ago, friend of mine in NYC sent me some pics of one they have next to her building.

In Jax though, there are plenty of pools open during the summer at various high schools around the city.  With city-paid lifeguards.  Plus, we have the beach so while a really cool idea... I don't really see the need for the city to pay for dumpster pools.

[Captain Zissou]

^ Space isn't such an issue here.  Many people have their own pools, or hotels or community pools. Should Jax ever hit this density, maybe these would be a good idea.  I hope they filter these things like crazy.

[RiversideJodi]

^ Space isn't such an issue here.  Many people have their own pools, or hotels or community pools. Should Jax ever hit this density, maybe these would be a good idea.  I hope they filter these things like crazy.

I was wondering about that too... the filtering.  Ew.  Could be interesting after a few days of soakers. 

[Shwaz]

Looks like you could have about 5 minutes of fun in a dumpster pool.

[Captain Zissou]

Looks like you could have about 5 minutes of fun in a dumpster pool.

I doubt New Yorkers would enjoy pools the way that we would.  No swimming, floating, or playing.  I imagine they just sit there, sip drinks, and mingle.  Kids would probably hate them. 

[Lunican]

I bet this is really about trying to prevent kids from opening fire hydrants in the summer.

[Shwaz]

Looks like you could have about 5 minutes of fun in a dumpster pool.

I doubt New Yorkers would enjoy pools the way that we would.  No swimming, floating, or playing.  I imagine they just sit there, sip drinks, and mingle.  Kids would probably hate them.  

I'd rather sit in an outdoor bath tub in a Cialis commercial than a dumpster pool.

[Lunican]

DEP Issues Safety Alert on Opening Fire Hydrants

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection would like to remind New Yorkers that opening fire hydrants without spray caps is illegal, wasteful and dangerous. Illegally opened hydrants can lower water pressure and put lives at risk if there is a fire. Children can also be at serious risk, because the powerful force of an open hydrant without a spray cap can knock a child down, causing serious injury.

The unauthorized opening of New York City fire hydrants often spikes during heat waves. Firefighters need adequate water pressure to put out fires. Opening a hydrant without a spray cap lowers water pressure and can hinder firefighting by reducing the flow of water to hoses and pumps. The reduction of water pressure resulting from illegally opened hydrants can also cause problems at hospitals and other medical facilities. Opening a hydrant illegally can result in fines of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 30 days, or both. New Yorkers should call 311 to report open fire hydrants.

Hydrants can be opened legally if equipped with a City-approved spray cap. One illegally opened hydrant generally releases more than 1,000 gallons of water per minute, while a hydrant with a spray cap releases 20 to 25 gallons per minute. Spray caps can be obtained by an adult 18 or over, free of charge, at local firehouses.

DEP manages the City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York City. The in-city distribution network consists of 7,000 miles of tunnels and water mains, and includes approximately 107,000 fire hydrants throughout the five boroughs.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/press_releases/10-69pr.shtml

[billy]

I think I read that a guy from Atlanta came up with the NYC concept.
I'm a big advocate of the garden hose in the yard.

[Jaxson]

Leave it to New York to make swimming in a Dumpster into something hip.  Here in Jacksonville, it would be just plain skanky...

[BigGuy219]

It sounds all well and good, but then you get a few homeless in there trying to take a bath and then all of a sudden you get a few floating #2s and well... you get the picture.

[Jaxson]

It sounds all well and good, but then you get a few homeless in there trying to take a bath and then all of a sudden you get a few floating #2s and well... you get the picture.

See my above comment about how we can add the skank factor to just about anything! : )