A Year of Public Water: Stories Behind NYC’s Drinking Water

This week, More Art launches A Year of Public Water, a project we’ve been building toward—one that uncovers the layered histories of New York City’s drinking watershed while making visible the often-unrecognized labor that sustains it. Water is not an endless resource, nor is its distribution equitable. The water flowing from NYC’s taps is the result of complex relationships—between infrastructure, ecological systems, and the people who steward them, both upstream and downstream.

As the U.S. grapples with a worsening crisis of health, economy, and environmental degradation, access to safe drinking water remains precarious for millions. Agricultural runoff, disinfection byproducts, and failing infrastructure—such as corroding lead pipes—continue to contaminate drinking water, disproportionately affecting BIPOC and low-income communities. These issues demand attention, not just as environmental concerns but as urgent matters of public health and justice.

A Year of Public Water invites us to examine our relationship with water and to imagine new ways of collaborating across geographic and political boundaries. How can we co-build more equitable partnerships between the communities that receive NYC’s water and those who live in the watershed, where the water originates? Throughout the year, we’ll share stories of the watershed, highlight artists working within these landscapes, and feature interviews and calls to action.

Water is a commons—one that requires collective care. Visit public-water.com to learn more, follow along, and join the conversation.