Hey!  I’m Jansyn, one of the new interns at ioby!  Eushavia, Mario and I are all working with ioby this summer, helping with outreach, making ourselves useful around the office, and learning how a great non-profit organization, like ioby, works!

One week into the job and we’ve already hit up two farmers markets: Brooklyn Borough Hall and Union Square Greenmarkets! Standing in the sun for hours in 95º weather handing out seed packets and information is a challenge, but it feels good to get ioby’s name out there.  One thing in particular keeps me going on those hot, sticky days… water.

NYC’s tap water is the best.  It adds that extra je ne sais quoi to those delicious New York bagels and famous city pizza.  Our water is world renowned for its quality, New York City remains one of five large cities in the United States that is not required to filter its drinking water!

A lot of effort goes in to getting good, clean water to the people of New York.  Every time we turn on the tap we are utilizing the vast New York City water system, the largest engineered system in the nation!  Every day, 1 billion gallons of water are pumped from upstate New York to approximately 9 million people in the city.  Our water comes from two places, the Cronton watershed on the east side of the Hudson, providing about 10% of the city’s water, and the Catskill/Delaware watershed to the west which supplies the remaining 90%. 

So, to show your appreciation for NYC’s amazing water, try to be super conscious about your water usage. Replace showerheads with more efficient models, beg your doorman to sweep the sidewalk instead of using a hose to clean it, and try not to take twenty-minute-long showers (really, you can do everything you need in under five minutes).

And remember, bottled water is totally unnecessary when you have delicious NYC tap water at your fingertips!

What are some things ioby has done to support NYC water?

• Car–FreeAstoriaWaterWalkonShoreBlvd
  • Making a safe waterfront promenade for the neighborhood.
• WaterfrontLibrary
  • Building a library dedicated to our waterways.
• RockawayRainReuseSystem
  • Tackling issues surrounding storm water management in New York.

What are some things that still need support?

• Don'tFlushMe
  • This project allows people in the city to become aware of the nature of the wastewater infrastructure and make informed changes in their water use behaviors.
• WallaboutChannelCommunityRowing
  • An idea to open a new access point that will allow Brooklynites to get out onto the East River, and encourage the stewardship of an urban waterway that we hope someday to see restored.
• LearntoRowDay
  • A fun context in which to learn about the estuarine environment in most people's backyards.
• CompostingToilets
  • The compost toilet will provide a public toilet for the garden members, students from nearby schools and the visiting public to the garden.
• HobokenFreeKayakingDaysSummer2011
  • A program to utilize public space and facilities on the Hudson River, allowing participants to see, touch, smell, and experience the river.

If YOU have any great ideas for protecting, conserving, or promoting NYC’s water, let ioby know!!