Drinking fountains are practical, attractive and healthy and offer quick refreshment for people on the move. A new drinking fountain made of aluminium is now in operation in Germany’s capital, Berlin, where there are plans for many additional new drinking fountains.

The new drinking fountain was installed at Joachimstaler Platz am Kurfürstendamm in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin by the Berliner Wasserbetriebe water company and the Service in the City community initiative. The 105-centimetre high aluminium column is connected directly to the city’s drinking water main and emits a continuous jet of water. The creator of the fountain is the Berlin designer Marcus Botsch.

The drinking fountain exudes timeless elegance and is suitable for erection in public places as well as in representative foyers. It only needs a freshwater supply and a drain. Its sides can be custom-engraved, it is simple to use and it is hygienic because there is no physical contact: one simply bends one’s head over the fine, continuous jet of water. The running costs for maintenance and quality control also have to be budgeted for and will depend on whether the installation is in a public or private area.

The fountains will be manufactured in small lots in aluminium foundries using sand casting. They are 105 cm x 15 cm x 40 cm (HxWxD) and weigh 85 kilograms. They cost between 5,000 and 6,000 euros each depending on the number produced in a series. On top of this there are the respective costs for the water connection and the drain as well as possible work relating to the design of the pavement.