Fire hydrant water fountains rolled out across Montreal

A new design that uses fire hydrants to provide drinking water has been introduced throughout a borough in Montreal following a pilot launch last year. Called the Bornéo system, it works by attaching to a fire hydrant a 1.35-metre metal ring that provides drinking water through four valves. Jonathan Andrews spoke to Antoine Dubois and Alexandre Joyce, two of the six designers from Bornéo that created the fountain. 

How did the idea come about?

The Association of Industrial Designers of Quebec (ADIQ) organised a brainstorming session. Plenty of ideas came out of this meeting but after discussions about the necessity for yet another water bottle, a team of six members was born. We wanted to offer creativity focusing on water access in urban environments. Fire hydrants are plentiful and showed a great potential access point to city water infrastructure. Hence, we steered our efforts towards designing a device that would be attached to fire hydrants. When you think of it, why can’t citizens have access to the fresh water running under our city sidewalks?

What adaptations were needed to gain final approval from the city fire department?

From day one, we designed our solution hand-in-hand with Montreal’s fire department to ensure the viability of the project. We didn’t adapt per se, but by working with the stakeholders, we shaped the solutions to respond to the requirements added in the process. The Bornéo device provides full access at all times to the fire hydrant. Still, we made sure to use parts that were compatible with standard tools carried by firemen. We improved our design as we went along such as when collaborating with Montreal’s water services–they suggested using a one-way valve to avoid potential contamination.

How many have been installed?

In 2014, there were two Bornéo devices that were installed in Plateau Borough and tested in a public pilot project supported by the borough. This summer, Plateau Borough has bought three more and is deploying them as we speak. Other municipalities have shown interest and we are looking to make it available on a wider scale in the coming years.

We hope it will spread around the city–and other cities–especially along bike lanes, parks and in Montreal’s numerous festivals and events. So, much interest should be converted into sales. But Nordesco, the Bornéo manufacturer, now takes care of commercialisation and the next steps in that regard.

What other benefits does the Bornéo fountain offer?

Of course we had multiple objectives including to improve access to water outside of the home. On hot summer days, it reduces risks of dehydration for all, especially for elderly people. We offer an undeniable eco-responsible alternative to the sale of bottled water, especially during large events, where we encourage refills of reusable water bottles. It is simply a great free service to citizens. Of course, it answers our premise of promoting design by showing how we can find new approaches to old problems.

For the City of Montreal, such a project was a good way to reaffirm the image of Montreal, a UNESCO City of Design, while promoting the quality of the city water. We found out afterwards that it had other advantages, such as access to water for the homeless. And from an organisational management standpoint, we ended up creating links between city departments (water service, fire department, borough’s teams, and so on). Some of the people we met over the past three years had never had the chance to directly interact prior to our project.

What happens in winter?

They are removed for the winter and kept dry in a city warehouse. It’s funny to think that this project started in Montreal where there is about four months of warm summer weather for public fountains.

How much does each one cost the city?

The cost is C$5,150 (US$3,950). It is a lot less costly than bringing water to a park to install a regular water fountain. Bornéo is simply added to the existing water system, within minutes, saving extra costs.

Is it uniquely North American (the distinctly red fire hydrant found in Canada and the US) or could it be adapted to other cities?

This particular unit is compatible with most types of hydrants found in North America. As for other countries, we can easily adapt the endpoints of the device to work with existing infrastructure. Then there’s the question of whether the water quality is good enough for drinking in every city (not every city around the world will use drinkable water in their fire hydrant systems).

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Notable features of the fountains include:

Interchangeable spouts for different uses: a drinking fountain and a spray to cool down.

The installation angle can be rotated allowing flexibility to different hydrant heights.

The different heights of the spouts give easy access to water to adults, children and wheelchair users.

An internal tubing system prevents water from becoming heated under the sun and ensures hygiene.