Arizona Family: Phoenix starts program offering cold water in downtown

David Baker, Arizona Family

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — The city of Phoenix launched a new initiative on Wednesday to provide cold water to keep people cool, especially during the summer months.

The Chilled Drinking Water pilot program will expand access to water, which starts with two new chilled bottle-filling stations in downtown Phoenix. One is near Phoenix City Hall, and the other is at Cesar Chavez Plaza on Second Avenue and Washington Street. They are custom-designed and will provide cool water to anyone who needs it. Each station also includes two regular water fountains.

The city said in a statement the locations are part of “a data-driven leap forward in sustainable urban development.” “Expanding public access to drinking water, especially in areas of high pedestrian traffic and public transit, is essential to keeping both our residents and visitors comfortable and safe, particularly in the summer,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said.

Phoenix officials added they’ll be testing in the coming months other ideas to fight the extreme heat that came in part from Phoenix residents who participated in the city-sponsored “Innovate Phoenix” event last April.

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