Stadtwerke Giessen recently installed and commissioned three drinking fountains in busy places in Giessen.
Giessen. Sufficient fluids are vital for the human organism. Especially in the increasingly hot summers, it is important to drink plenty. Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) recently started offering passers-by the opportunity to quench their thirst at three locations in the city centre. At Berliner Platz, at the Ringallee bathing centre and in Mäusburg Street in the immediate vicinity of the market square, SWG has installed a drinking fountain at each location, where the best drinking water can be tapped free of charge.
Available seasonally
All three fountains are barrier-free and available around the clock. But not all year round. In winter, SWG has to temporarily shut down operations to protect the fittings. Exactly when depends on the weather, or more precisely on the temperatures. "In the weeks when we have to expect frost, we disconnect the wells from the network," says Christian Francke, explaining the procedure. And when it gets warmer again and temperatures are expected to remain above freezing, the wells supply water again.
"We would actually have liked to have put the wells into operation in the summer," explains Christian Francke, who is responsible for the project at SWG. But the lack of funding approval delayed construction until the autumn. In fact, the three fountains were built as part of the state of Hesse's Integrated Climate Protection Plan 2025 - as a measure to combat the effects of climate change. For projects funded in this way - the state contributes 90 per cent of the investment sum - it is always the case that the funding recipient is not allowed to start construction until the relevant approvals have been received.