City of Boca Raton to Debut New Water Wagon on October 20

The City of Boca Raton Utility Services Department recently designed and constructed a 2,000 lb. mobile water station to provide chilled tap water for residents and visitors at City events. The innovative water wagon, named the Mobile Aqua Refreshing Station (MARS), provides a cost-effective and sustainable solution for event attendees to access cold, City tap water with their own refillable water bottles. The MARS will make its debut at the upcoming Art in Public Places Red Reef Mural unveiling on Saturday, October 20 from 9am – 11am at the Red Reef Park West Walls next to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center trail.

According to Chris Helfrich, Utility Services Director, “City of Boca Raton tap water is better, safer, sustainable and of high quality. The MARS is an innovative unit that will provide our residents with cold, clean, safe water and reduce the use of bottled water. Utility Services wants to provide a convenient way for our residents to experience our tap water outside their homes.”

In order to provide cold tap water to event-goers, the MARS is loaded with 900 lbs. of ice that sits on 300 feet of copper tubing with OCTG coatings. City water runs through the tubing from a hose perfectly shaped with heat shrink tubing connected to a potable source. The water is then distributed through four spigots and a water fountain faucet, with one spigot accessible for children and the water fountain faucet designed for ADA accessibility.

The concept of the MARS encourages event attendees to think sustainably. Residents are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles from home to City events where the MARS station will be available for use at no cost. Not only does it reduce the purchase of bottled water, it reduces the likelihood of plastic water bottles ending up in the ocean.

Lindsey Nieratka, Boca Raton’s Sustainability Manager, added that plastic in the ocean is projected to outweigh fish by 2050, “so keeping our oceans clean by reducing waste is crucial.”

To learn more about the City of Boca Raton’s sustainability efforts, visit the Office of Sustainability webpage.