Four locations throughout Cambridge
Additional water fountains and bottle refill stations will help residents stay hydrated and reduce waste from plastic bottles! One of the new fountains will be designed to reflect Cambridge, like the artistic water fountain at Fresh Pond.
This project will install four fountains and/or water bottle refill stations (at $8,000/station) at public places across the city to encourage people to drink more water and use fewer disposable plastic bottles. Suggested locations include Danehy Park in North Cambridge, Harvard Square (possibly Winthrop Park), Joan Lorentz Park (Main Library) and Hastings Square in Cambridgeport. This proposal also allocates funds ($5,000) to incorporate public art into at least of these fountains. The nature-inspired drinking fountain at Fresh Pond is an excellent example of how these features can be functional and beautiful!
Water is the best and healthiest hydration option… so we need to encourage people to drink more! Public health research shows that sugary beverages are highly linked with obesity and diabetes, especially in children and young adults. Hydration also flushes out toxins and increases muscle efficiency. Behavior change isn’t easy but additional drinking fountains will give our community a key tool for staying healthy and allow residents and visitors alike to enjoy Cambridge’s beautiful parks and open spaces while staying hydrated. Folks wouldn’t have to pay for bottled water, which is 2,000 times more expensive than tap water!
If we use more reusable water bottles, plastic bottles won’t litter our streets, fill our public trash or end up in the Charles River, landfills or oceans. We will also save the water used in the production and filling of disposable plastic bottles and solidify Cambridge’s commitment to environmental stewardship!
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Children walk through on their way to school, commuters walk to transportation or to their jobs on the other side of the river, dog walkers criss-cross the area, runners pass through on their way to the river, young mothers sit with their children and chat, older residents (like me) take the air and socialize. Workers come to the square to sit and eat lunch, there are children playing after school, friends meeting after work, and parties and pot luck suppers on weekends.
All these users will benefit by the easy availability of good Cambridge water.
Thanks to participatory budgeting for all this.
kr