Dog approved: New water drinking station installed downtown

Finn the dog waited eagerly beside a bright blue water station to cool off Friday morning.

The station is the first of three to be installed across the city. This drinking station can be found in Victoria Park at the corner of Scarth Street and 12th Avenue.

The remaining two stations will be installed next week in Pepsi Park and Buffalo Meadows Park.

Mayor Sandra Masters said adding the water stations to the city’s landscape was an easy decision to make.

“We think it’s really important – we have hot summers,” she said.

Two self-closing faucets are placed at different heights for easy access and to prevent any unnecessary waste. On either side, there are two low-level basins for pets to drink out of.

Finn was a big fan of this feature.

She sat happily, waiting for her owner to turn on the faucet. After taking a big swig, she licked her lips in satisfaction.

The temporary drinking stations are attached to nearby fire hydrants. Gord Hewitt, the city’s deputy fire chief, said the stations were very easy to install.

Masters acknowledged the importance of offering clean water to all citizens and visitors of Regina.

“Being able to do something that also helps serve people’s health is something we are pretty satisfied with,” she said.

The team behind the drinking station. From left to right, Brittany Henderson, Eden Jukes, Fred Ramachers, Jay Overend (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

The stations cost $3,500 per unit and were designed and created by the water operations team at the City of Regina. They were powder-coated and had decals installed by a local business.

They’re made of steel and designed to be tamper proof. But the mayor said that will be a waiting game and she hopes people will respect the drinking stations.

The temporary stations will operate from June until October every year. Depending on feedback and water meter readings, the city may look to install more next year.