Dumpster Pools?

Dumpster swimming pools on Park Avenue

For the first time ever, New York City invites residents to swim in pools made from repurposed garbage dumpsters as part of its third annual Summer Streets program. The city is closing down Park Avenue to cars on three consecutive Saturdays (August 7, 14, and 21) so people can spread out to bike, walk, play, watch live theater, and swim.

On Saturday, 420 swimmers took a dip in one of the three pools located near the Grand Central viaduct on Park Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets. The pools will be open for the next two Saturdays (August 14 and 21) from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. The city is distributing bracelets on a first-come first-serve basis so swimmers can enter in shifts.

Only 10 people can swim comfortably in a pool at a time. Each 8-by-22 foot dumpster pool is surrounded by a wrap-around deck and has its own built-in water filtration system. Unfortunately, dumpster-diving is prohibited since the pools are only 3 to 4 ½ feet deep. Each unused dumpster has been equipped with a layer of felt (so it's soft to stand on) and pool lining liners before being filled with around 4,600 gallons of chlorinated water and weighs approximately 50,000 pounds.


The original article and more pictures here.