Leadership Quote by Edward Koch

Water is the oldest brag in the book, and Koch turns it into municipal stand-up. The sing-song riff on Coleridge ("Water, water, everywhere") sets up a mock-epic frame, then undercuts it with the most New York of pivots: sure, the planet has oceans, but our tap wins. It’s civic pride scaled down to something you can taste, which is exactly why it lands. You don’t need to understand bond ratings or capital budgets to have an opinion about the water coming out of your sink.

The intent is boosterism with a wink. Koch isn’t merely praising infrastructure; he’s selling a story of competent governance through a sensual, everyday pleasure. NYC’s water system is famously gravity-fed from upstate reservoirs, marketed for its clarity and taste, and essential to everything from delis to bagels. By calling it “our aqua,” he folds a vast, largely invisible engineering feat into the language of ownership and identity: the city isn’t just a place you live, it’s a brand that performs for you.

The subtext is political: trust me, the basics work. In the late 20th-century urban narrative, New York was fighting its way out of fiscal crisis and reputational decline. Bragging about water is a sly way to claim order, health, and modernity without sounding defensive. It’s also Koch’s signature move - mixing self-mythologizing charm with retail politics - turning a public good into a punchline that doubles as a campaign slogan for the idea of New York itself.