Binder Park became the first of 11 locations in Jefferson City to be decorated with a new water bottle-refilling station last week.
The project is a collaboration between Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities Coordinator Ashley Varner and Jefferson City's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
"The refilling stations makes it easier for people to fill up instead of just purchasing a sugary drink, which means healthier choices for the community," Varner said.
The station will be located near the concessions and restroom area in the park, she said.
Parks Resource Supervisor Josh Werdehausen said he was excited to see people's reactions to the new stations.
"The old fountains needed to be updated," Werdehausen said.
"These new stations allow people to refill water bottles that they may already have with them, and plus the water will be chilled - something the older fountains did not offer."
He also noted the stations are vandal-proof.
Due to the cold water feature, Werderhausen believes the stations will be bring more traffic to all of the locations.
The water-refilling stations were purchased through an $11,000 grant funded by Missouri Foundation for Health.
Additional water-refilling locations will be installed at the North Jefferson City Pavilion, Memorial Park Pavilion, near the restrooms at Edgewood Greenway, Ellis-Porter Riverside Park Pavilion, on the main floor of the Washington Park Ice Arena, Ellis-Porter Pool, Memorial Pool, McKay Park, Optimist Sport Complex and McClung Park Indoor Pavilion.
Varner said the goal is for all of the water refilling stations to be installed and available to the community in a month.