Paris Is Installing Sparkling Water Fountains All Over the City
Paris—the city of love, lights, and... sparkling water fountains? That's right: Because tap water is so passé, the French capital decided to give their public drinking fountains a carbonated upgrade. The fontaine pétillante, as they're locally called, have been around since 2010, with eight sparkling fountains located around the city. This past month, however, Paris's City Hall scaled this project into a full-blown initiative, with the ultimate goal of having at least one carbonated fountain in each of the 20 arrondissements—Parisians, you'll never have to settle for still water again.
By adding these fountains, city water authorities hope to help Parisians stay hydrated. “People often told me that they were ready to drink tap water if it was carbonated,” Anne le Strat, former Deputy Mayor of Paris, told 20 Minutes magazine in 2010. “Now they they’ve got no excuse not to.” Just last week, a new fountain appeared in Square Eugene Varlin, so the project is already well underway; nine new fountains are slated to be installed by December 2018.
Each fountain is connected to the main water line, with a CO2 carbonator added in. The CO2 is added in when the water is exactly 44 degrees Fahrenheit, so it always has a cool, fresh flavor. However, these fountains don't just dispense streams of perfectly chilled seltzer—they also have a green incentive. The French consume an average of 40 gallons of bottled water annually, so the city is trying to reduce plastic waste by providing fresh, clean water at public fountains. And if the water happens to be sparkling, so be it—at least you'll get free quasi Perrier to accompany your picnic at Luxembourg Gardens. Though the fountains have a deceptively downtrodden appearance—many enticingly coated in grime and graffiti—a CityLab writer reported the water was "utterly delicious" and "a magical surprise." Looks like the fontaine pétillante will be yet another addition to Paris's highly enviable food & drink scene.
And while we're on the subject of drinking fountains, make sure you stop by Rome on your next trip to Italy—there's a free, 24-hour wine fountain just outside the city. No further explanation needed.