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Hundreds of cast-iron boxes standing chest-high on the sidewalks of New York City are there to provide an essential service to residents. But these silver sentinels go largely unnoticed, their purpose a mystery to the millions who shuffle past.
Once in a while, a city employee will stop by and unlock one of the small safes and provide passers-by a glimpse of its contents: what looks like a tiny, street-side kitchen sink, complete with a long-necked faucet.
Wait, what?
It is just what it appears to be. Each of the sturdy lockboxes, custom-made to withstand the urban rigors, is a water sampling station maintained by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
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There are nearly 1,000 of them across the five boroughs and they have been there for more than 25 years. But few people ever get a peek inside unless they happen to be nearby when one of the city’s scientists comes along to perform tests and collect a sample.
Otherwise, they might mistake the boxes for pieces of utility infrastructure or traffic-monitoring equipment.
