South Portland’s Sustainability Office Taps Local Grant to Install Water Bottle Filling Station

The City of South Portland adds to its deliverables in sustainability with the installation of an outside   water bottle filling station at Wainwright Fields. One of only a few, if not the only outside water bottle filling station in the area, the City hopes it will reduce waste and encourage drinking of tap water.  “We are pleased to be able to offer this convenience to residents through a grant program from the Portland Water District,” stated Julie Rosenbach, South Portland Sustainability Coordinator. This summer, South Portland installed units at Wainwright Complex and Redbank Community Center with the aid of the grant. 

From San Francisco’s crusade to eliminate single-use plastic containers with “tap stations” dotting the city to Boston’s uniquely designed units along the Greenway, water bottle filling stations are gaining popularity across the country as a way to offer the public a more convenient way to refill and refresh. The Portland Water District (PWD) began a program to promote the installation of water bottle filling stations in 2011 by partnering with the Portland Jetport to install units in the terminal.  Since then, PWD has developed a grant program to fund units and has awarded 12 grants since 2013. Grant recipients include the City of South Portland, Saint Joseph’s College, and the Casco Bay Terminal.  Applications for 2016 awards are due October 31 and can be submitted online at www.pwd.org.