A groundbreaking news from New York City indicates that the city’s first floating pool is set to become a reality after over a decade of planning and testing. It is expected to be installed in the spring of 2026 at Pier 35 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, allowing people to fulfill their dream of swimming in the river.
The concept of creating a floating pool that can safely filter river water for people to swim in the urban waters of the East River took shape after years of brainstorming and testing. The designers aimed to make it possible for individuals to truly swim “in the river” without compromising safety.
After numerous trials, the innovative pool, known as “＋POOL,” took the form of a cross-shaped design. It consists of four functional areas: a children’s play pool, a lap pool, a fitness swim lane, and a leisure pool. These four sections can also combine to form a massive 9,000-square-foot pool or a standard Olympic-sized swimming pool. What sets it apart is its cutting-edge filtration technology, which can filter 600,000 to 1 million gallons of East River water without the need for chemical agents. The pool’s automatic purification system ensures water quality meets New York State health standards daily.
During the development of the pool, the design team faced financial challenges. On January 5, 2024, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams jointly announced a total allocation of $16 million to support the +POOL project.
Official sources have confirmed that a trial pool of approximately 2,000 square feet will be installed in the summer of 2025. This pool will mainly serve for engineering tests and water quality monitoring and will not be open to the public for swimming. If the testing goes smoothly, the full-sized (9,000 square feet) cross-shaped “+Pool” is projected to be officially installed in May 2026 and open to the public.
Since its establishment, “+POOL” has been actively promoting environmental awareness through initiatives such as environmental education, free swimming lessons, and community river patrols. These efforts aim to encourage people to understand water quality issues, collaborate in safeguarding water resources, and contribute to environmental conservation.