Giant Water Guns to Power Tram

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation in an effort to spur tourism, having learned something about the power of water from Olafur Eliasson's NYC WaterFall Project, has gone ahead and purchased giant water guns, actually canons, to be used to power the tram cabins back and forth across the East River.

When asked if this was considered a waste of water, an unnamed source at RIOC (it has been rumored) responded that the water meters on the island have not yet been fixed so NYC is actually footing the bill for this exhibition as well.

Full size image available on Flickr by tatoodjj ................................... (spoof)

Update: City Claims re Roosevelt Isle Water Bills

As discussed last week, RIOC is working with New York City to disprove the allegation, printed in the NY Post, that Roosevelt Island owes in excess of $418,000 in back water bills.

According to Robert Greene, a RIOC Project Manager, RIOC has provided a listing of all active meters to the NYC DEP requesting that the DEP identify and/or match the meters in question on their bills to the RIOC list.

So far RIOC has received no response from the DEP but an on island meeting is being planned to further discuss the issue.

Roosevelt Island, Surrounded by Water, is # 7 on City Water Bill Scofflaw List - Orphan Meters Blamed

Updated: 9:30am: Added third paragraph, updated fourth paragraph

According to a New York Post article published this past Sunday, March 16, 2008, various Roosevelt Island accounts owe NYC a total of $418,000 in water bills. The biggest Roosevelt Island offenders according to the Post are the RI Racquet Club and the Sports Complex owing a combined $146,000. The article also claims the Tram restroom facilities owe $20,000 alone. Who knew the bathrooms were open that much to even run up a bill of $20,000.

Somehow the knowledge that we are surrounded by water and that island establishments reportedly owe NYC for back water bills seems a bit nutty. Certainly the idea that a State run facility such as Sports Park owing NYC money seems unlikely much less the bills owed for the tram toilets.

According to Stephen Shane, RIOC President, orphan meters are to blame. "The sports complex had its meter changed many years ago" Shane explained "and the City did not make the change in its records, continuing to accrue charges to a nonexistent meter".



According to the article, NYC plans to sell the tax liens this coming May for these late bills unless the accounts are cleaned up within the next two months. So if a buyer purchases these tax liens the entities will now owe the buyer the base lien plus interest at 18%. Shane stated that RIOC's Engineering Department has been investigating the problem and I presume RIOC and the Racquet Club have been fighting the City's water bills.