Water fountain installed for Surrey's homeless

Homeless advocates who've been calling for a water fountain to be installed on 135A Street in Surrey got their wish Thursday morning.

The city has put a fountain right in the heart of the so-called 'Strip' where poverty, drug use and homelessness are major issues.

Service providers in the area have argued that when temperatures rise, people who live on the street in the area need better access to water.

"We were monitoring the situation down there for the last month or so and we've been distributing water down there with service providers," said Surrey bylaw services manager Jas Rehal.

"Given now that the temperatures are going to be in the mid to upper 20s for the foreseeable future, we thought we could get a temporary fountain installed as part of our overall plan to make that area safe for everyone."

Rehal says the city and other service providers have been handing out bottled water since the summer began.

Residents of 135A Street have also been able to get water from the Front Room 24-hour drop in centre.

Some advocates argued those measures were insufficient and that a fountain was needed during the summer months.

"We installed a fountain there a couple years ago and the issues were that the fountain wasn't used for [drinking] purposes," Rehal said.

"It was being used for bathing and other purposes that posed a health risk."

The city will monitor how the fountain is used in the coming months and, sometime in September,will reevaluate whether it is still needed.