SA Water has crowned its busiest drinking fountain for 2022, nominating the Semaphore Foreshore watering hole which supplied more than 103,000 litres of safe, clean drinking water for the community and reducing the single use of plastic.
The drinking fountain, close to the busy shopping and eatery strips of the Esplanade and Semaphore Road, easily won ahead the second and third places which went respectively to the Glenelg Foreshore and Adelaide Showgrounds which supplied 41,000 and 20,000 litres of water in the same year.
General Manager of Strategy, Engagement and Innovation at SA Water, Nicola Murphy said it was great to see locals and visitors across the State choose to take water by tap instead of bottled water, no matter where they were.
“With more than 90 SA Water fountains installed in metropolitan and regional areas over the past four years, we’re helping to provide more access to a free and sustainable alternative to bottled water when you’re out and about,” Ms Murphy said.
“These smart fountains have several special features, including the ability to produce environmental, health and cost-saving reports, such as how many single-use plastic bottles were saved from landfill by people choosing to drink directly from the fountains or fill up with a reusable bottle,” she said.
According to Ms Murphy, around 370 million single-use plastic water bottles make their way to landfills each year in Australia and at the same time drinking fountains provide clear and environmental benefits.
“Designed and manufactured in Australia, a low-lying drinking arm bubbler on the side of each of our fountains ensures they’re child and wheelchair accessible, with contemporary hygiene features such as its ‘water window’ allowing for easy, safe filling of water bottles,” Mr Murphy said.
“Many also have an in-ground dog bowl to help keep thirsty pets satisfied,” she said.
“On top of this, the fountains’ water use can be remotely monitored to generate cleaning and maintenance schedules.”
To find your nearest drinking fountain, download SA Water’s free ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’ (BYOP) app, which has more than a thousand fountains mapped across South Australia.
The app is available from both Google and App stores.
