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Where there's water, there's life. So one of Portland's smaller steps toward normalcy seems particularly symbolic—the Benson Bubblers are running again.
After a month of dormancy, the century–old public fountains in downtown Portland started spouting water April 17.
The city shut off the bubblers March 13 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In April, they were turned back on again at the recommendation of the Multnomah County Health Department.
"The decision was driven by the need for access to drinking water in the downtown area in the context of many closed services and climbing temperatures," health officer Dr. Jennifer Vines told WW via email. "Per the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], COVID has not been detected in drinking water, and using the fountains would be considered low risk of transmission."
Still, public fountains can spook germaphobes even in the best of times. So last weekend, to allay any fears about sanitation, the Portland Water Bureau released a video about Mark Day, who regularly scrubs the historic drinking fountains:
Our Benson Bubblers, like Portland, are resilient. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need some TLC.
— Portland Water Bureau (@portlandwater) May 22, 2020
Mark makes the rounds regularly cleaning the Rose City legend. If you’re around town, our bubblers are up and running. pic.twitter.com/WJenCrQIiI
Despite Day's rigorous cleanings and the fact that the fountains are arguably some of the city's most hygienic infrastructure, extra caution still seems prudent, given you can't really drink from a fountain while wearing a face mask.
"For everyone's safety with all shared public surfaces," a representative for the Water Bureau told WW, "we ask that people take advantage of the no-touch design of the bubblers when taking a sip."