Life in the city can be a daunting prospect if you’re caught without proper refreshment. After all, getting from A to B in this humungous concrete jungle can often be a lengthy process. And whilst there are plenty of beer gardens and riverside bars to quench a boozy thirst, topping up on water presents a conundrum: how to do so without choking the ocean full of more plastic? Luckily, an elegant solution lie waiting in town, as a host of eye-catching new water fountains exist around many London boroughs.
Part of a £5 million investment in public water fountains launched back in 2019 by Thames Water and the mayor’s office, there are now 110 of the hydrating beauties installed around the capital. They’re rather easy to spot, too; each one sports a giant blue water droplet atop it. Installed in tube stations, shopping centres, parks, and markets, the hope is they’ll keep Londoners refreshed whilst simultaneously cutting plastic waste.
They’re rolled out in force across 23 of the 32 London boroughs. Amongst the areas of high foot traffic, you’ll find water fountains at Broadway Market, Potters Field Park, Russell Square, Camden High Street. Plus, commuters at underground stations including Willesden Green, Blackfriars, Tooting Broadway, and Kentish Town all benefit from the fountains.
These are smarty-pants water fountains, too: each one measures the amount of water dispensed, to show how many plastic bottles have been saved by using it. Given that the average Londoner buys three plastic bottles a week, it’s a crucial step to reducing our plastic use. After their installation in 2019, councils were inundated with requests They clearly want to make a splash, don’t they?