The National Park Service is upgrading 14 of the water fountains along the Mount Vernon Trail and George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The newly upgraded fountains include new water bottle fillers, an amenity that the park services hopes will encourage more trail users to bring reusable bottles.
The new fountains are also “freeze-resistant,” enabling them to continue operating in the cold of winter, and have built-in bowls for pets to drink out of, the park service says.
“Many of the Parkway’s existing drinking fountains are aging and often unavailable during colder months,” NPS said on a webpage explaining the upgrades. “Key locations along the Mount Vernon Trail lack consistent water access, even though they’re popular year-round.”
According to a National Park Service release:
The George Washington Memorial Parkway is rolling out a major upgrade to its public amenities by installing up to 14 new water bottle refill and drinking stations at high-traffic areas throughout the park. All the new stations are replacing older drinking fountains, upgrading them to include modern bottle fillers to better serve visitors and support sustainability. The project aims to improve year-round access to safe drinking water and reduce waste along the Potomac River corridor.
The park service says two water fountains have been replaced so far: one on the Mount Vernon Trail in the Fort Hunt neighborhood of Fairfax County and another at Theodore Roosevelt Island.
Installation of the other 12 water fountains will continue in phases through fall 2025 and into 2026, starting at the southern end of the trail and working north.
While most of the Fairfax County stations will be in the southeast, specifically around Fort Hunt and Belle Haven, one fountain upgrade is planned for the coming winter at Great Falls Park along the GW Parkway.
“This project supports our mission to protect natural resources and enhance the visitor experience,” GW Parkway Superintendent Jennifer Madello said. “Whether you’re biking the Mount Vernon Trail, exploring historic sites, or walking your dog at one of our parks, having access to clean, reliable drinking water makes every visit safer and more enjoyable. At the same time, we’re helping protect the health of the Potomac River and the surrounding environment.”
The release noted that the upgrades are made possible from support by Potomac Runners, DC Road Runners, American Water Charitable Foundation, Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail and a grant from the National Park Foundation and Subaru of America.
