Adelaide Oval’s drinking water fountains achieve impressive sustainability goals

While the Adelaide Oval gears up for tonight’s Showdown, its six drinking water fountains have served up 100,000 litres of water, avoiding more than 160,000 single-use plastic bottles ending up in landfill.

The drinking fountains, which were installed by SA Water together with Stadium Management Authority (SMA) in 2019, achieved the impressive milestone this month by delivering around 250,000 quick sips and refills to staff and spectators.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, a low-lying drinking arm bubbler on the side ensures each fountain is child and wheelchair accessible.

The fountain’s contemporary hygiene features, such as its ‘water window’, allow for easy, safe filling of water bottles, and a splash guard limits direct mouth contact with the bubbler nozzle.

Adelaide Oval SMA Chief Operating Officer Adam Vonthethoff said the fountain’s water ‘disposals’ over the past three years speaks volumes about their popularity among visitors.

Vonthethoff  notes “enhancing the everyday stadium experience, including game days, with a free and sustainable alternative to single-use bottled water is great for everyone and visitors to the stadium have certainly put the fountains through their paces.

“The SA Water drinking fountains are conveniently located around the Adelaide Oval in high traffic areas, enabling regular game day spectators to remember where they are for the next round and plan ahead by bringing their reusable bottles.

“Having the fountains has reduced our net environmental footprint, with the plastic bottles they’ve displaced, typically creating around 16,000 kilograms of carbon emissions during manufacture and transport.”

SA Water Senior Manager of Media, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Joshua Zugajev adds “tap water is better for your health and your hip pocket, and by providing convenient places to refill, we’re empowering communities to create an enduring impact on the environment.”

Fans cheering on their team are encouraged to bring a reusable bottle and refill for free, with drinking fountains located on the Eastern Plaza, at the Victor Richardson Gates on the southern side, in the Western Stand near the Sheffield Shield Room, on the Northern Deck, on the Southern Plaza and the Village Green South.

Image (L-R): SA Water Account Manager Cam Wallace, and Adelaide Oval SMA Chief Operating Officer Adam Vonthethoff