Paris' 800 Fountains Are Back

From the Blue Community / Blue City of Paris, France, and its public water service Eau de Paris:

Spring is back, 800 fountains turned back on in Paris.

The arrival of warmer weather marks the reopening of Parisian fountains that were closed during the winter. Find them with a click on our map.

In Montsouris Park, in Paris’s 14th arrondissement, maintenance worker Mehdi Bettioui is restoring a fountain to working order. At the base of the fountain, he opens the access panel and uses a long wrench to gradually reconnect the water supply.
Like him, about ten Eau de Paris employees were mobilized between the beginning of March and the beginning of April to restore water to the fountains in Parisian parks, gardens, woods, and cemeteries.

A network of fountains that adapts to the seasons

Every winter, some of the drinking fountains in Paris must be taken out of service to protect them from freezing. This preventative measure also allows for maintenance work. However, Eau de Paris ensures that access to water is maintained for everyone, especially the most vulnerable, in all seasons.

Nearly 40% of the fountains remained in operation throughout the winter. Their continued operation is based on technical and meteorological criteria, as well as usage considerations related to their location and popularity. The 1,500 businesses in the “Here, I choose Paris water” network, where everyone can refill their water bottle for free, complement this system.

All facilities are inspected

With rising temperatures starting in March, the water networks were gradually reopened. The installations were inspected and sometimes required maintenance: replacing taps, various repairs, etc. Fountain after fountain, the water flowed again. In total, 800 fountains were thus put back into service in the capital, an operation that continued until mid-April, marking the return of water throughout Paris.

Before leaving, Mehdi checks the flow one last time. Water gushes out: the fountain is working perfectly!