Yes, there’s an app for that.

Flip through the pages of history books, we may be reminded that water rationing was a constant reality for residents who were living in pre-1960s Hong Kong. During drought periods, residents lined up in queues and waited for their turns to fill up buckets with fresh water. Fast forward 50 years, as the city is provided with abundant and affordable supply of water, it can be difficult for millennials to imagine water as a precious, inaccessible resource.

Speaking of precious resources, it is worth noting that the three landfill sites in Hong Kong are fast reaching their saturation points. Improved solutions to the city’s recycling and waste management are immediate concerns. While the usage of plastic bottles is discouraged and that of water tumblers is encouraged, how do we know where are all the drinking fountains in Hong Kong? Thankfully, a group of hikers and environmentalists came up with a solution that is easily accessible.

Inspired by London-based mobile application Find-a-Fountain, local organisation Go Green Hong Kong (GGHK) decided that developing a similar mobile app can encourage the use of personal water tumblers, and reduce the amount of city’s plastic waste. Partnered with Nuthon IT Solutions Limited and WYNG Foundation, GGHK developed Water for Free, a Hong Kong-based mobile app which maps drinking water fountains located in the city. According to Rachel Pang, spokesperson of GGHK, “almost all of the water fountains listed in our app have water filters installed in them”. Therefore, for those with doubts regarding the cleanliness of public water sources, fret not.

Environmentally-friendly, affordable, and healthy – we can all contribute to reducing consumption while looking great.

(Photo & Article: IndustrialHistoryHK / CreatorMag.HK.)