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Traverse City To Get Water Bottle Filling Stations

traversecitymi.gov

It might get a little easier for the Traverse City community to be green this summer.

The city is getting three water bottle filling stations this summer. One new and two retrofitted stations will be installed in The Open Space. They will have a unified look and are forest green in color. 

The concept will go to the city commission next week for approval.

Katie Lowran is deputy city clerk for Traverse City. She says the purpose is two-fold.

"So the first purpose is to function as a traditional drinking fountain, and then also to have a special feature to fill reusable water bottles," she says.

She says current fountains are cumbersome and not as user friendly.

She says the city already has a program to reduce the use of water bottles. 

"It’s called Take Back The Tap. So, back in 2009, the city commission established a resolution to not purchase any bottled water on behalf of the city or any other function. We kind of started this movement quite a long time ago."

The filling stations cost approximately $7,000. They are entirely donor-funded.

A year ago, Hagerty Insurance issued a challenge grant to the city. They would match funding if the city found two additional donors. The National Cherry Festival and an anonymous donor are also funding the stations. 

The three locations in the park have already been determined: one near the volleyball court, one at the marina entrance, and one west of the marina down by the bay. 

The committee plans to have the stations installed in late May and run through October.

There is already one at Clinch Park. It is mounted to a wall. These, on the other hand, would be free standing.

Future filling stations are possible but would have to be completely donor-funded.