Drinking water - Number of drinking fountains in Berlin has risen sharply
The number of public water fountains in Berlin has significantly increased in recent years. According to Berlin Water Works, there are currently 224 public water fountains in operation in Berlin. The Land Berlin has been financing the installation and maintenance of water fountains since 2018, at which point there were reportedly only 45 in the entire city.
The first water fountains were installed in the 1980s, originally intended for network stabilization. The fountains run permanently. According to the water works, the flow has already been reduced: "Only 0.02 percent of Berlin's annual water consumption goes through all the water fountains," they said.
The water works aim to prevent water from standing in the pipes for too long, heating up, and becoming contaminated by maintaining a constant flow. Every two weeks, and sometimes weekly, the fountains are cleaned. Every four weeks, samples are taken to ensure water quality.
There are already some fountains where running water is used for irrigation, for example for street trees. However, this is "a handful," as they put it. They can be found, for instance, on Fischerinsel, at Mauerpark, and in Spandau at the shipping canal. Space is often lacking, and additional underground construction work would have to be taken on by the respective district administrations.
In addition to public water fountains, there are initiatives like Refill: Shops with a Refill sticker, including supermarkets, pharmacies, or bookstores, fill tap water into brought bottles for free.
Initiative Refill
Drinking water from public water fountains in Berlin can contribute to overall health. Berlin water companies have pointed out that only a minuscule portion of Berlin's annual water consumption is used through the fountains, highlighting their minimal impact on the city's water supply. The first public water fountains in Berlin were installed in the 1980s, primarily for network stabilization.
