- Social Association calls for more drinking fountains in Hamburg
In light of summer temperatures, the German Social Association (SoVD) is calling for more public drinking fountains in Hamburg. Especially for homeless people, this is crucial, said Hamburg SoVD state chairman Klaus Wicher. "Especially in the inner-city districts, where the daytime heat lingers the longest, there needs to be more opportunities to drink." Around the main station, for example, thousands of travelers and a large part of the homeless population gather daily. However, there are only two places to get fresh drinking water. "That's not very considerate of people," he said.
Politicians are underestimating the fact that summers are getting hotter and hotter in the north, Wicher said. Heat protection and more greenery for the city should be at the top of the Senate's priority list, he added, warning: "Especially the provision of publicly accessible drinking water is progressing too slowly."
There are currently 38 drinking fountains in Hamburg. In Berlin, there are 166, and Vienna even has over 1,000 public drinking water stations. "Hamburg could certainly do better," Wicher said. Not only people living on the streets, but also seniors, children, people with disabilities, and the sick need better drinking water supply, he added.
Social policy should prioritize addressing the lack of public drinking fountains, considering its impact on vulnerable populations. The slow progress in providing publicly accessible drinking water is a concerning aspect of this issue.
