In an effort to curb bottled water use, Paris has borrowed an Italian idea, according to the New York Times. At Jardin de Reuilly, a nature park in eastern Paris, a water fountain has been installed that makes tap water more attractive by making it sparkling and cold.
The Jardin de Reuilly fountain is the first of its kind in Paris, but the fountains are common in Italy. Italians can get their water from one of 215 of these fountains that “inject carbon dioxide into regular tap water to make the bubbles thin and tasty.” The temperature of the water is kept between 42.8 to 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit. The Italian fountains each provide about 920 gallons of water a day. It’s estimated that each fountain saves 2,300 plastic bottles of water each day.
The water comes directly from the Paris’ water supply that has been treated to make it safe to drink. The water fountains, as you can see in the following video, are not the kind you place your mouth on. They are more like faucets where water drinkers can fill up a reusable container.
I would love this type of fountain, sparkling or still, in public parks in the United States. Wouldn’t you?