Smart, Chilled Drinking Water Initiative Incorporates Art That Feels Cool

The Office of Innovation’s Smart Drinking Water Initiative is now chilling in Cave Creek Park – Larkspur, in Council District 3, with the installation of the 14th system in the network. The drinking fountain is also the first in the program to incorporate splashes of color and art around the fountain and park to make you feel physically cooler.

This project is the first use of EnKoat, an Arizona State University-developed, heat-mitigating coating, in a Valley park in collaboration with the District 3 Council Office, Office of Innovation and Performance and the City’s Arts and Culture, Parks and Recreation and Neighborhood Services departments.

“Great things happen when innovation and art come together in our communities,” Mayor Kate Gallego said. “Thanks to this collaboration with residents, artists, and local entrepreneurs, we’re making Cave Creek park more beautiful and comfortable.”

“Cave Creek Park-Larkspur is at the center of a chain of city parks where residents walk, bike and skate through the middle of our City,” Phoenix City Councilwoman Debra Stark said. “Now, you have a place to refill your water bottle and enjoy art that makes you feel cooler. And this is just the beginning – we are painting the park cool!”

The bottle-filling stations include water filtration, remote monitoring and leak detection, and smart purge valves that prevent water from warming in the lines. The unit is powder coated to reduce heat-gain. A ramada beside the fountain was coated with EnKoat, which is designed to lower the roof’s peak surface temperature and reduce the radiant heat felt by park visitors underneath the structure.

“As part of this pilot, we continue to gather data and resident feedback to improve the performance of the water fountains, especially during extreme heat,” said Michael Hammett, director of Phoenix's Office of Innovation and Performance. “The unique aspects of this location, including the art and use of heat-mitigating coatings, will inform future locations.”

Artist Nicole Poppell of Mural Mates used EnKoat to install a mural on the concrete base surrounding the fountain. Future phases of this project include the painting of additional ramadas and benches and a first-of-its-kind mural on the concrete walls of a drainage canal, using the same heat-reducing coating.

“I connect with nature through color, textures and the shapes I find within my environment,” Poppell said. “This project is unique because the paint I’m using has a function in addition to the art of beautification.”

This expansion was made possible through funding from a Gila River Indian Community Grant (GRIC), supporting Phoenix's efforts to expand access to chilled drinking water in areas of the City where residents and visitors need it most.

To find a chilled drinking water fountain near you, visit phoenix.gov/innovation.