National Press: Le Parisien — Paris (75) section · March 30, 2026 · Article by Marion Kremp
Le Parisien has published a feature story on the rollout of Eau de Paris’s free sparkling water fountains, the seventeenth of which has just been installed in the 13th arrondissement. This trend illustrates the rise of public fountains as an alternative to plastic bottles, as well as the public’s growing appetite for sparkling tap water in urban areas. This market context lies at the heart of the challenges facing the microfiltered water sector.
Key takeaways
- In March 2026, Eau de Paris installed its seventeenth free sparkling water fountain at the foot of its new headquarters on Rue Fernand-Braudel in the 13th arrondissement; the first one had been installed back in 2010 in the Jardin de Reuilly.
- In 2025, Paris’s sparkling water fountains dispensed 1.8 million liters of self-service sparkling water, preventing the use of more than one million plastic bottles—the equivalent of 30 to 35 metric tons of plastic.
- A sparkling water fountain consumes an average of more than 100 m³ per year, compared with 50 m³ for the most frequently used still water fountains—a sign of the public’s strong enthusiasm for free sparkling water.
- Paris has a total of 1,311 drinking fountains accessible to everyone, including 112 Wallace fountains, which were donated by Sir Richard Wallace following the siege of 1870–1871.
- The carbonated water from the fountains comes from the city’s drinking water system and is enriched with food-grade CO2, as part of an effort to reduce single-use plastic and ensure access to water for everyone, especially those in the most vulnerable situations.
- At the same time, the “Ici je choisis l’eau de Paris” initiative, launched in 2020, brings together 1,500 retailers who allow passersby to refill their water bottles for free, preventing the equivalent of one million additional bottles from being used each week.
- In the public drinking fountain market mentioned in the article, Castalie developed a product line specifically for local governments and public spaces, in addition to its long-standing business with restaurants, hotels, and companies.
- The rise of carbonated tap water fountains in urban areas is part of the same trend driven by microfiltered water providers such as Castalie, which offer an alternative to plastic bottles for businesses.
Source: Le Parisien, Paris (75), March 30, 2026 — article by Marion Kremp. Read the original article
