The German city of Freiburg im Breisgau is a Blue Community / Blue City since March 2022. In the city area, 39 fountains and water columns provide fresh drinking water. The service is popular with residents and tourists and the quality of the water is checked regularly. In recent years, the service has been continuously expanded and improved. A sticker on the fountains indicates that the water is safe to drink. The fountains are usually cleaned on a weekly basis and samples are taken regularly to prevent any risks such as contamination,” explains Kolja Mälicke, spokesperson for the city of Freiburg.
The administration cannot say how much the provision costs. The construction of the wells depends on many local factors, such as how complex the water supply lines and transfer shafts have to be planned and built,” explains Mälicke. The same goes for the maintenance of the wells and wellheads.
The provision of drinking water is part of the Blue Community goals, of which the city of Freiburg is a member. This is a global alliance of communities and organisations committed to the protection of water and free access to it. They see water as a public good and access to clean drinking water as a human right. They also want to encourage people to drink tap water instead of bottled water. This is why many schools in Freiburg already have water columns.
Information taken from an article by Alexander Blessing in Schwarzwälder Bote
