Toss no more thanks to new Smart Tap stations in Prospect Park

Prospect Park will be welcoming six Smart Tap bottle-filling stations this summer, as part of an effort to encourage city residents to reduce and reuse. The bottle-filling stations will replace regular water fountains and allow the public to refill old bottles rather than toss them, reducing their carbon footprint.

“We are excited about these new fountains because New York City has the best drinking water in the country,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Emily Lloyd.

The first station was opened on June 19 in the Nethermead and has proven to be popular among park goers. The other five stations are scattered throughout the park — at Sixth Street and West Drive; near Field 1 in the Long Meadow Ballfields; along the East Drive, across from the Peristyle; near Field 6 at the Parade Ground; and at the Center Drive and East Drive intersection.

Bill Apfelbaum, founder and chairperson of Smart Tap LLC, praised the Prospect Park Alliance for its efforts, “We are thrilled that the first Smart Taps are located in Prospect Park,” he noted. “The Prospect Park Alliance’s innovative and pioneering spirit addresses New York City residents who care about the planet and want to help change the world one bottle at a time.”

For more information on Prospect Park programs, volunteering and membership, call the Park Hotline at (718) 965-8999,or visit www.prospectpark.org