Just Askin': Can you drink the water from the Tyler Davidson Fountain at Fountain Square?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google.
Maybe you're coming back from a Reds game and making a stop at Fountain Square. It's a swelteringly hot day, and you don't have extra cash for a water bottle.
Suddenly the water running out of the 151-year-old Tyler Davidson Fountain starts to look tempting. The four spouts at ground level are calling your name.
Should you drink the water? That's up to you, but it won't make you sick, officials say.
Question: Can you drink from the fountain at Fountain Square?
Answer: Yes, but make sure you're drinking from the right place.
@cincyenquirer Can you drink the water from Cincinnati’s Tyler Davidson Fountain at Fountain Square? We found out for ourselves. #fyp #foryou #cincinnati #ohio #cincinnatiohio ♬ original sound - Cincinnati Enquirer
The water from the fountain's reservoir is not recirculated. It is drained, and fresh water comes out of the spouts. Therefore, is not advisable to drink water from the reservoirs collecting that fresh water, said Joe Rudemiller, Cincinnati Center City Redevelopment Corporation (3CDC) spokesperson. 3CDC manages and programs Fountain Square on behalf of the city.
In the center of the fountain is a 9-foot statue of a female figure named the Genius of Water. Surrounding the Genius of Water are four boys that represent the pleasures of water, according to Ohio History Connection.
Those four mini-fountains with male statues are the ones you can drink from. Water is sourced from Greater Cincinnati Water Works.
It was actually by the founder's design that its water is drinkable. Tyler Davidson, for whom the fountain is named, had the initial idea to establish the fountain as a gift to the city, but he died in 1865 before it could come to fruition.
Henry Probasco took over the next year. He traveled around Europe to get inspiration for the fountain and settled on a design inspired by a Munich fountain that included a Genius of Water at the top.
The fountain was dedicated on Oct. 6, 1871 under Tyler Davidson's vision. His requirements: The city must maintain and provide pure water for free, the fountain must be on a certain number of hours a day (except for when temperatures are freezing), it must be kept clean, and should only be used for drinking except in the case of a fire.
So fill your water bottle for free, or take a slurp straight from the tap. The author of this article drank a full 16-ounce glass. One week later, there are no symptoms to report.
Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fountain Square Cincinnati: Can you drink the water?
