Edmonton expands water bottle filling station program for summer 2024

A water bottle filling station in Edmonton on June 10, 2024. (Matt Marshall/CTV News Edmonton)

The City of Edmonton's water bottle filling program is back for summer 2024 with additional filling stations.

Last summer there were 17 filling stations in operation; this summer there will be 27 stations throughout the city. An asterisk marks the locations that are new.

DOWNTOWN

NORTH AND NORTHEAST

NORTH WEST

SOUTH

WEST

The filling stations are attached to fire hydrants and many are located near public city washrooms.

"The expansion of the water bottle filling stations program is crucial in our efforts to safeguard our city's most vulnerable residents," Hani Quan, the city's director of affordable housing and homelessness said in a news release. "By enhancing the accessibility of safe, free potable drinking water, we are addressing a key need for those most at risk during extreme heat conditions."

Filling stations will be in operation until Sept. 30.

Water bottle filling stations can also be accessed at LRT and transit centres.

This is the fourth summer for the program, which launched in 2021 with five filling stations. Its average cost has been $40,000 to $50,000.

The city says 567,000 litres of water was dispensed from the bottle filling stations in 2023.