Journal of Science Policy & Governance
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Volume 23, Issue 01 | October 23, 2023
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Op-Ed: Ensuring the Future Accessibility of Drinking Fountains in Oklahoma and Beyond
Emily Geest,Teri Cocke
Corresponding author: [email protected] |
Keywords: drinking fountains; water fountains; unhoused; homeless; urban infrastructure
Executive Summary
For thousands of years drinking fountains, also known as water fountains, have delivered potable water to people. However, despite this relationship with people, drinking fountains have a long complex history in urban infrastructure in the United States. While once highly used and supported by the public, drinking fountain usage and maintenance have declined with the rise of bottled water. While public and stakeholder support for water access remains high, decades of negligence and increasing monetization have reduced publicly accessible drinking fountains. However, despite these declines, drinking fountains remain the primary source of free drinking water for students in schools and a vital source of clean water for the unhoused population in the United States. Drinking fountain usage also improves the health of a community while reducing plastic pollution. We encourage the passing of local regulations that mandate a minimum number of drinking fountains available, in addition to policies that cover installation and maintenance of drinking fountains, increasing investment in maintenance of publicly available drinking fountains, as well as increasing investment in research of accessibility of drinking fountains, health and safety of drinking fountains, and advancement in design of drinking fountains. While we focus on two major metropolitan areas in Oklahoma, these recommendations are applicable to all major metropolitan cities in the United States.
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Background header image courtesy of Bloomberg
Emily Geest is a postdoctoral fellow in conservation and science at Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden. She focuses on research that answers questions aimed at understanding how anthropogenic land-use change and land management decisions influence biodiversity, specifically concerning arthropoda. She was an Ecological Society of America Katherine S. McCarter Graduate Student Policy Fellow, and plans to remain involved in science policy in the years to come.
Teri Cocke is Ph.D. candidate at Oklahoma State University. Teri studies native bees in roadside habitats and management implications. She was honored as a NextGen under 30 recipient, for her efforts in bringing science outreach to underserved communities. She is passionate about science advocacy and increasing STEM retention.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge their colleagues who supported them in this endeavor. Additionally, the authors would like to thank the editors for their insightfulness, comments, and edits which improved the quality of the article.
Disclaimer
The authors do not have any conflicts of interest.
Teri Cocke is Ph.D. candidate at Oklahoma State University. Teri studies native bees in roadside habitats and management implications. She was honored as a NextGen under 30 recipient, for her efforts in bringing science outreach to underserved communities. She is passionate about science advocacy and increasing STEM retention.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge their colleagues who supported them in this endeavor. Additionally, the authors would like to thank the editors for their insightfulness, comments, and edits which improved the quality of the article.
Disclaimer
The authors do not have any conflicts of interest.
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ISSN 2372-2193
ISSN 2372-2193