New York City invests one billion dollars to expand public pools
Environment · 3 July 2026
Written by AI from multiple news reports
New York City has announced a one billion dollar investment to improve its public swimming pools over the next five years. This is the largest amount of money the city has spent on pools since the 1970s. The funding will pay for two new indoor pools, full renovations at three existing pools, and upgrades at sixteen outdoor facilities.
The city currently runs 79 outdoor pools and 12 indoor pools, which are free for everyone to use. In 2018, nearly 1.7 million people visited these pools. During summer, outdoor pools are open daily from late June until early September.
NYC Parks also runs a free swimming programme that teaches around 7,000 children each year. The city currently employs 680 lifeguards and is working to increase that number to 1,000.