Key information
Request reference number: MGLA290526-0786
Date of response:
Summary of request
Please advise what survey was carried out and cost of reinstating the old charming drinking fountains compared to the ones you had installed and the cost thereof
You spend our money like water
Our response
To support Londoners to switch to refillable water bottles, the Mayor partnered with Thames Water to install a network of 110 public water fountains across the capital. The programme was successfully completed last summer and is complemented by the Refill programme which encourages London's many restaurants, cafes and businesses to offer free water to the public, providing more than 4,500 spots for people to refill.
London’s Victorian water fountains are outstanding tributes to the era’s public health pioneers but unfortunately restoring them to meet current water safety standards would require major, costly renovations that could potentially damage the original design and compromise their historical value.
The new public water fountains installed over the last three years are much more cost effective and meet modern water safety standards.
I am unsure what you are asking for in relation to “the cost thereof”? I believe you may be asking how much it cost to install the network? With an initial investment of £5million the Mayor was able to leverage an additional £17.5 million in funding from Thames Water to install 110 fountains across the city. As part of this partnership agreement Thames Water have agreed to fund the ongoing maintenance and cleaning of the water fountains for a period of 25 years.