SUMMARY of Research
Our main goal was to find out the development of the water system in Central Park, particularly on how the water system changes throughout the years. To find out the changes in the condition of the “Lake” throughout time, we did some primary and secondary research by collecting data through observation, survey, and articles.
For our primary research, we observed the lake and found out that the water is mostly clean with only small pieces of trash and algae along the lake. There are signs of eutrophication since the water is bright green in color. We measured the ph level of the water and the result was 7 on the ph strip. This could be the result of the mix of acidic and alkaline that makes the water neutral overall. It could mean that only certain parts of the lake are polluted, which is why there are still animals that inhabit the areas that are less polluted. From our interview with an expert from the Central Park Conservatory, the pollutants in the lake are trash that visitors throw, and that the water keeps worsening each year, especially during the summer.
For our secondary research, we collected data from scholarly journals and articles regarding the condition of the lake now and back then. We found out that in the mid-90s, about 5% of the total consumed water in the city daily, used to come from the reservoir. In the summer of 1993, Dinkins administration officials stopped pumping drinking water from The Lake to reduce the risk of potential microbiological contamination. This shows us that throughout time, the water gets more and more polluted that it no longer provides water to the city.
In conclusion, throughout time, the water gets more and more polluted. To resolve this problem, The Central Park Conservancy monitor, assess, predict and plan for the management of water quality. They collect weekly samples from the Lake, which is sent to a lab for any signs of eutrophication. They added more staff to prevent visitors from littering the water body.
