# Are public water fountains a strictly American thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232 "2012-10-19T15:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232/81 "2012-10-24T10:05:23Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > Not necessarily couldn’t, so much as choose not to. I offered that report in response to someone who was suggesting that the cost/availability of water couldn’t be an issue in Europe. Whatever. Like I said before, how wonderful that the greatest country in the world can give away “free” water at all times and all places. Maybe other nations choose not to, prioritising other things perhaps; maybe some of us (including me) are just not very observant and don’t often notice water fountains, especially if they don’t look the way we expect them to. However I still find your characterisation of everywhere that isn’t America as “stingy” to invite the return judgement that everywhere else is actually just less wasteful and entitled. Yes, fighting bigotry with bigotry is the way to win. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232/82 "2012-10-24T10:19:53Z")
Water “fountains” in office buildings are relatively rare in Spain, but drinking water you just got from the faucet isn’t. IME the fountains are more common in those places where people are more likely to want cooled water: what’s prized enough to pay for the fountain is the cooling process. Then again we don’t think of those as “public fountains”, our concept of “public fountains” involves being in a public space (a park, a street, a square; a mall - where you’re more likely to see a decorative fountain than a drinking fountain), not in a private building. Public fountains is what we had before we had taps in homes. Spanish fountains only have a constant stream of water if they’re decorative; drinking ones are on demand. You won’t see fountains in airports (whose tap water is also fine but you need to have a glass or a bottle) because bars and machine vendors, and by extension the airport, can make much more money by selling water than by just making it available. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232/83 "2012-10-24T12:44:29Z")
There used to be water fountains all over Stockholm, but I suppose the city got tired of vandalism and the cost of maintenance and just shut them down. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232/84 "2012-10-24T20:27:26Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yes, fighting bigotry with bigotry is the way to win. That’s a little harsh. It’s well known that this is how people’s minds work - judge not lest ye be judged, etc. I’m not suggesting that I feel this way, and as I’ve thought about it (you’re correct in thinking that I have very little to occupy my limited faculties) actually I keep thinking of more and more public fountains I’ve seen on my travels . This evening for instance I’m having warm and grateful memories of the taps in Pompeii and Delphi and a fountain in a park in Syracusa. I don’t disagree with the concept of public water, but I object to the OP suggesting that places who don’t provide it are in some way flawed in their character. All I wanted to do was point out that they’re being rather rude to everyone and might not like it if they were similarly insulted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-public-water-fountains-a-strictly-american-thing/638232.md?page=4)