Free drinking water will now be available to visitors of Adelaide Oval, with SA Water’s provision of four new ‘smart fountains’ connected to the CBD’s supply networks.
SA Water General Manager Customers, Strategy and Innovation, Anna Jackson, said the fountains, which were delivered in partnership with Stadium Management Authority, will make it easy for visitors to bring their own bottle.
“If you’re heading to a game at the Oval, be sure to BYOB – Bring Your Own Bottle!” Ms Jackson said.
“Smart tech in the fountains allow our team to remotely monitor them, generating cleaning and maintenance schedules, and built-in solar lighting keeps them illuminated and easy to find at night.
“Perhaps the coolest thing about the new smart fountains is that they produce environmental, health and cost saving reports, with information such as how many plastic bottles were saved from landfill by choosing to either take a drink directly or fill up a reusable bottle with water from the fountain.
“There are clear environmental benefits of choosing tap over bottled water, but it’s also better for your hip pocket – more than 90 per cent of the cost of a bottle of water actually comes from its lid and label.”
The fountains at Adelaide Oval are the first of SA Water’s new drinking fountains to be installed in the metropolitan area, with five others switched on in Kapunda, Port Lincoln, Coonalpyn, Port Augusta and within the Monarto Zoo, and plans for more to be installed at other locations.
The fountains feature artwork created by Aboriginal artist Paul Herzich, which depicts waterholes specific to Aboriginal groups from across South Australia.
“Including these special designs on the Adelaide Oval fountains is part of our commitment to reconciliation, and is just one of the ways we’re demonstrating this in our work with communities around the state,” Ms Jackson said.
Main image caption: L-R: Ann-Marie Csortan, David Eggers, Matilda Couch and Danny Troiano with a new smart water fountain on the Northern Deck, which is one of four now at Adelaide Oval. Image credit: SA Water.
