Commitment to Sustainable Drinking Water
The commitment of the European City of Saarlouis regarding drinking water goes far beyond the aspects of sustainable water supply. It brings numerous positive effects that will benefit various stakeholders – especially the most vulnerable in our society – in the long term. For this reason, Saarlouis’ new mayor Marc Speicher did not miss the opportunity to personally put the water dispenser into operation today, Wednesday, "Im Vogelsang." Among others, he was accompanied by Mayor Carsten Quirin, Dr. Ralf Levacher, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Saarlouis, headmistress Petra Gitzinger along with curious schoolchildren, as well as Deputy Gerald Purucker, funding manager Thomas Klein, and Alexander Guß (Office for Families, Social Affairs, Schools, and Sports).
“As a European city, we take responsibility for the health and future of the citizens of Saarlouis, especially our youngest generation. This also includes easy access to food and everyday essentials,” says Mayor Marc Speicher. “This makes local politics directly tangible for everyone and builds trust. With the installation of drinking water dispensers at various locations, all Saarlouis residents will in future have access to free drinking water, supported locally by the municipal utilities.” After the first drinking water dispenser was installed in 2023 as a pilot project at the Saarlouis-Steinrausch primary and all-day school, the city is now following suit with the Römerberg, Lisdorf, and Fraulautern primary schools, as well as Beaumarais and Vogelsang. In addition, the Esther-Bejarano-Haus, the Stadtgartenhalle, and Saarlouis Town Hall will also be equipped.
“As a local provider, we were of course pleased to be able to help, especially by introducing the youngest children in Saarlouis to such a precious resource early on, practically ‘in their chalk time’ at primary schools, by making their safe access to drinking water as easy as possible,” said Dr. Ralf Levacher, Technical Managing Director of Stadtwerke Saarlouis, more than satisfied. “This exactly corresponds to our understanding of citizen-oriented, lived public services, which can sustainably offer the people of Saarlouis a high standard of quality of life with the best-controlled food product in this case.”
The division of tasks
The city of Saarlouis, as the initiator of the measure, is supported by the NBS and the Saarlouis municipal utilities in tasks related to the provision of hygienically flawless drinking water in public spaces. The drinking water dispensers themselves are installation-bound, meaning they have a 230V connection to the grid as well as a water supply and wastewater line, which must first be installed and then regularly maintained along with the system. While the city of Saarlouis is responsible for building management, the NBS takes over the building technology on its behalf, as the funding explicitly includes the proper maintenance of the drinking water dispensers for the next five years. As the water supplier, the Saarlouis municipal utilities were finally responsible not only for project coordination but also for the formal legal part of applying for funding.
Much more than just a thirst quencher
The list of benefits associated with the new publicly accessible water dispensers is long and was certainly not fully understood by the schoolchildren present at “Im Vogelsang.” They were simply visibly pleased by the opportunity to quench their thirst easily whenever they want in the future. The children are encouraged early on by this measure to consume water instead of sugary drinks. This helps prevent obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Furthermore, adequate hydration has been shown to improve cognitive performance and concentration in class. And regardless of social background, all children have access to free water, which reduces social inequalities. The parents of the little ones, on the other hand, save money and need not worry about their children's health in this regard.
Environment, City and Society
In general, avoiding single-use bottles promotes a more sustainable use of resources. This measure fosters environmental awareness among children and sensitizes them at an early stage to use resources sparingly in the long term. Less single-use plastic from water bottles leads to a reduction in plastic waste in the medium term and thus contributes to the environmental goals of the city of Saarlouis. Additionally, in the long run, society as a whole can benefit from the initiative, as healthier children place less strain on the healthcare system. A healthier society is generally considered more productive and can therefore contribute more effectively to achieving ecological goals from an economic perspective. In summary, this measure is an example of how local politics can invest in education and infrastructure, thereby achieving sustainable and social goals simultaneously in practice.
