Moonee Valley Council collaborated with Civiq to install drinking fountain and educate the community to give up bottled drinks in favour of water.
The City of Moonee Valley, located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, wanted to provide residents with greater access to free drinking water to keep them hydrated while using local sport and recreation facilities and also to reduce plastic waste.
The Council contacted Civiq seeking a premium vandal-resistant drinking fountain and bottle refill station to cater to local residents. They needed a tough product that was suitable for high usage in public environments, whilst meeting the goal of increasing public water intake and reducing the number of waste plastic water bottles.
The drinking stations were funded by a VicHealth grant: ‘Access to drinking water in community sport’, which offers up to $5,000 (including $500 towards marketing or promotion) to clubs and sporting facilities for the purchase of a water bottle refill station with a drinking fountain, including costs of delivery.
Civiq recommended the Aquafil FlexiFountain 1500BF and Elkay EZH20 Vandal Resistant bottle filling station.
The Aquafil FlexiFountain 1500BF is a compact and hardwearing drinking fountain and bottle refill station designed for outdoor use. It is wheelchair accessible, also making it easy for children to access. It features two antibacterial bottle refill nozzles and is vandal resistant, making it an ideal solution for outdoor local council spaces. The drinking fountains were also installed with the optional swinging dog bowl, and the front panel was customised to accommodate local branding.
The Elkay EZH20 Vandal Resistant water station is also suitable for both outdoor and indoor environments and features an extra heavy-duty design. The product features in-built water filtration and chilling, providing refrigerated water to both the fountain and bottle refill outlets. It also features an innovative LED display, which indicates the number of bottles refilled since installation. The display also indicates when the filter needs replacement.
Civiq was chosen to supply eight new drinking fountains and bottle refill stations, which have now been installed at Avondale Heights Library, Learning Centre, Riverside Golf and Tennis Centre, Debney’s Park, Queens Park, Aberfeldie Park, The Doutta Galla Bowls Club and Fairbairn Park. The Council plans to monitor drinking habits to inform future installation of water stations in the area.
An event was held on Monday 29th October to launch the new water stations and Civiq attended the opening ceremony. Moonee Valley residents are now looking forward to using the units to help keep them hydrated during the hotter months.
