Throughout August, the Right to Water initiative is organizing a series of public events in several cities across Serbia to promote and preserve public drinking fountains as a shared public good. Through this campaign, the initiative aims to highlight the importance of public fountains in ensuring the right to safe drinking water, especially during increasingly frequent heatwaves.
“Access to safe drinking water should not be a privilege, but a fundamental human right. A public drinking fountain is much more than just a place to refill a water bottle,” the initiative emphasizes.
According to the organizers, public drinking fountains serve as places where communities gather and connect, contribute to public health, reduce the use of single-use plastics, and play an important role in helping cities adapt to climate change.
As part of the campaign, the initiative introduced a digital tool titled “Submitting Initiatives to Bring Public Fountains Back to Life”, enabling citizens to contact local decision-makers directly and propose the installation of new public drinking fountains or the restoration of those that are no longer operational.
At the beginning of August, the initiative also published a publication dedicated to public drinking fountains, containing recommendations for institutions to recognize public fountains as an integral part of public health infrastructure, climate resilience, and social equity.
Event Programme
During the first week of August, public events will take place in several Serbian cities:
Požega (4 August) – A community gathering in the town square featuring live music under the slogan “A Fountain Is a Place to Meet – Let’s Keep It That Way!”, aiming to reaffirm the public fountain as a community gathering place.
Kragujevac (5 August) – A public drawing workshop titled “Let’s Draw to Bring Public Fountains Back to Life!”, promoting the preservation and expansion of the public fountain network.
Belgrade (6 August) – At the Delijska Fountain in Knez Mihailova Street, citizens will have the opportunity to propose new locations for public drinking fountains and learn about the digital tool for submitting initiatives to the relevant public authorities.
Zaječar (7 August) – A musical programme and public discussion on the importance of public drinking fountains for the local community will be held at Tačkova Fountain.
Padina (8 August) – A gathering titled “Join Us for a Glass of Water – Courtesy of Planet Earth!”, accompanied by an artistic programme at the public fountain.
The organizers invite citizens to participate in the events and support initiatives that contribute to preserving public drinking fountains, emphasizing that they are an essential part of sustainable, healthy, and inclusive cities.
