Green Needham Taps into Water Fountains

July 19, 2024
• Following other Massachusetts communities, locals hope to create a digital map of water fountains and bottle refill stations across town.

With high temperatures and a recent pool closure, Needham is stuck in the dog days of summer. But for those outdoors looking to cool off, a water fountain may not be so easy to find.

Green Needham, a sustainability advocacy organization, is looking to help people stay hydrated. The group is in the early stages of building a “tap map,” which residents and visitors could use to find public water dispensers. Concord and Sudbury have mapped their taps, and Newton’s map is currently in the works.

Kathy Raiz, a member of Green Needham, said they are working with the town to obtain a full list of fountains and water stations currently operational. While some local fountains and bubblers are fairly visible — including those at Memorial Park, DeFazio Park and Town Hall — others remain “kind of hidden,” Raiz said.

The map would improve access to public water and encourage the continued use and adoption of reusable water bottles, Raiz said. The group is observing Plastic Free July, a campaign calling for the reduction of single-use plastic pollution.

“We’re always trying to come up with ways to reduce plastic use, single use plastics, and Massachusetts is really lucky to have great tap water options,” Raiz said. “Our tap water is tested regularly and meets very high standards, and so we really want to encourage the use for people.”

Most of Needham’s water comes from the Charles River Wellfield and is treated at the Charles River Water Treatment Facility, according to the town’s annual water quality report for 2023. Its secondary source is the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, which is mostly used during the summer months. Last year, Needham used an average of 3.2 million gallons a day, according to the report.

But calculating the town’s total number of fountains will take time, said Amy Haelsen, director of communications and community engagement. Depending on their locations, the fountains are under the purview of different town departments, Haelsen added, meaning inventorying them will be a collaborative effort.

“The Green Needham initiative is a great idea,” Haelsen wrote in an email. “The Town is in the process of updating its inventory of the water fountains and bottle refill stations and evaluating it to see if and where additional facilities might be added.”

Businesses can also join the tap map if they’re willing to refill bottles with tap water, Raiz said. In that respect, she sees the initiative as “an opportunity to drive more business into our small retailers around town.”

Plastic water bottles pose a health risk, especially in the heat — plastic bottles can contain microplastics and nanoplastics, which can leak into the water, according to a January study by Columbia University researchers. Given their extremely small size, nanoplastics can move through human tissues and risk leaving synthetic chemicals in the body.

Raiz said “opting for using a reusable water bottle and using tap water from town, it’s a much healthier option.” She recommended using an aluminum reusable bottle.

The commonwealth’s water supplies “are among the best in the country, and they are subject to the most stringent government standards in the world,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

While tentative, Raiz said they hope to have a tap map completed around September.

“We’ve got great sports events that happen all around town all the time, people are using different parks, and it’s great to be able to easily refill.”