City awash in bottle-filling options

TRAVERSE CITY Mayor Michael Estes push to ban the sale of plastic water bottles at Open Space events didnt wash with his fellow city commissioners, but supporters poured forth enough cash to sprinkle the city with water bottle filling stations.

Objections from National Cherry Festival and Traverse City Film Festival officials sunk Estes proposal, he said, so instead a committee of commissioners turned to private fundraising to install filling stations. City officials and donors will cut a green ribbon for five new fountains made possible through $35,000 in donations today at 1 p.m. in the Open Space west of the Marina.

The whole idea was to reduce the level of plastic water containers that sit in our public parks, Estes said. Ive thought from the very onset they were an excellent idea.

The stations provide both a drinking fountain and a bottle-filling station and also can be ordered with a lower spout to fill water bowls in case anyone wants to sponsor one at the citys dog park, Estes said.

Estes and his wife Rhonda sponsored one of the $7,000 fountains for Veterans Park near the Grand Traverse Commons.

I try to avoid plastic water bottles whenever possible and I thought since I was advocating for them so strongly I should put my money where my mouth is, Estes said.

Hagerty Insurance offered a challenge grant to fund a station if someone else would step forward. Estes said he believes the challenge helped spur other donations.

An anonymous donor agreed to fund a station at the volleyball courts and the operator of the citys sewer plant, CH2M HILL, will fund one in F&M Park. The National Cherry Festival will fund the fifth station on the corner of Union Street and Grandview Parkway.

We do make some revenue off of the water bottle sales, but I also think its important to have the filling stations down there, said Trevor Tkach, Cherry Festival executive director. We want to make sure our customers stay hydrated.

City officials identified other areas in need of water stations and continue to seek sponsors. Anyone interested in funding a station or wishing to make a tax deductible gift should contact Katie Lowran, deputy city clerk, at 922-4480.

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City awash in bottle-filling options