Thirsty Ottawa residents are now able to take a sip from the city’s new “selfie-worthy” public drinking water fountains.
“Hello, wonderful people of Ottawa! It’s me, your favourite Hydrant Fountain. That’s right, I’m back again this summer and ready to make a splash in communities across our great city,” a City of Ottawa press release says.
The city says the seasonal fountains attached to a fire hydrant have undergone a “stunning transformation” with a new blue exterior and droplets of water that is “bound to turn heads” and moving away from their former monochrome grey colour.
“I may have a new look, but my main mission remains the same: provide safe and delicious drinking water to each and every one of you,” the release says.
“Whether you’re out for a stroll in the park, attending a local event, or just rolling by on your way home from work, I’ll be there, ready to quench your thirst and hopefully put a smile on your face.”
Seasonal and year-round public fountains provide drinking water to more than 950,000 residents via more than 3,200 kilometres of underground pipelines and connect to 23,000 fire hydrants. Connecting to fire hydrants does not impact the ability of fire crews to access water in an emergency, the city says.
The city began a pilot project to connect city public water fountains to hydrants in 2022 and are rotated across the city during the hot summer months.
There are 112 public drinking water fountains across the city and an additional six that are a part of the hydrant drinking water fountain pilot project.
Ottawa has some of the “safest and highest quality drinking water in the world” and is tested 100,000 times annually.
Residents wanting to see a drinking water fountain in their neighbourhood are asked to email hydrants@ottawa.ca.
“Get ready to hydrate, celebrate, and experience the magic of safe, accessible drinking water like never before,” the city said.