To mark the EURO 2024 in Germany, the association a tip: tap has launched a drinking fountain campaign together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). Local authorities and water suppliers were able to apply for one of 51 drinking fountains worth 15,000 euros. LWG Lausitzer Wasser GmbH & Co. KG, a public private partnership between the City of Cottbus, the surrounding districts and REMONDIS Aqua, applied for a drinking fountain for Cottbus – and was successful.
At the end of May, just in time for the EURO 2024, BMUV state secretary Stefan Tidow, together with Cottbus mayor Tobias Schick and Marten Eger, technical managing director of LWG Lausitzer Wasser, inaugurated the new drinking fountain in Cottbus. It is located on the forecourt of the Stadthalle/Berliner Platz.
Commissioning of the new drinking fountain
Stefan Tidow, state secretary at the BMUV: “Access to drinking water in public spaces is becoming increasingly important, especially during the hot months. The last dry and hot summers have shown that periods of heat are no longer a rarity in Germany either. This summer, millions of people will be watching the EURO games together outdoors, perhaps in high temperatures. With each of the 51 new fountains, the BMUV is making an important contribution to protecting local football fans from the heat.”
Tobias Schick, lord mayor of Cottbus/Chóśebuz: “Football tends to be associated with beverages containing hops. So this important sign of how to keep a cool head during what are sure to be heated matches at the EURO 2024 and a hot crowd of supporters is all the better. It is the second drinking water fountain in a public space in our city. Thank you very much for this important initiative.”
State Secretary, Stefan Tidow, Mayor of Cottbus, Tobias Schick, and the Managing Director of the LWG, Marten Eger, put the new drinking fountain into operation
Marten Eger, technical managing director of LWG Lausitzer Wasser: “I am proud of the performance of our employees, who managed to procure the fountain, obtain authorisation, install and commission it in less than eight weeks. LWG took the initiative and applied for this fountain because we are convinced that it will make an important contribution to the sustainable development of our city.”
EURO 2024 sustainable: One match – one drinking fountain
The “One match – one drinking fountain” campaign is organised by the non-profit association a tip: tap and funded by the BMUV with around 1.1 million euros. At the beginning of the year, all German cities, municipalities and water suppliers were able to apply for one of 51 drinking fountains. Interest was huge: almost 700 applications were received by the deadline of 4 March. The water supplier LWG Lausitzer Wasser applied for Cottbus/Chóśebuz.
From all the applications, one fountain was distributed to each of the EURO 2024 host cities, provided they met the specified criteria. The remaining drinking fountains were allocated to the 16 federal states according to population size, with each state receiving at least two fountains. In Brandenburg, the cities of Cottbus/Chóśebuz, Neuruppin and Teltow will receive a new drinking fountain.
Drinking water will be provided free of charge. The fountains will continue to be operated after the EURO 2024 and will provide free drinking water on a permanent basis. The campaign aims to encourage cities and municipalities to include the availability of drinking water and drinking fountains in their heat action plans. The aim is to get the population excited about drinking fountains and sensitise them to the important issue of drinking water availability.
Drinking water on the go
Drinking water from the region – available free of charge in many places in Germany. The wvgw provides an overview of all public drinking fountains in Germany at www.trinkwasser-unterwegs.de. This makes it easy for citizens to find out where the nearest publicly accessible drinking water source is located.
Image credits: image 1: © Richard Kliche; image 2: © Stadt Cottbus
