Cooling down the heat crisis in Maryvale

Just in time for summer, a new cooled water fountain in Phoenix’s Maryvale neighborhood is available. Through the City of Phoenix, with funding support from partners including the Arizona Community Foundation, the cooled fountain is a welcome improvement for neighborhoods like Maryvale that are hit hardest by extreme heat.

With temperatures promising to break records once again, the water from existing drinking fountains can be far too hot to drink. The only cooled, public water fountain in Phoenix was outside City Hall when District 7 Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira approached ACF Senior Community Impact Officer Adam Lopez Falk to discuss funding needs.

The results speak volumes. The cooled fountain delivers water at 75 degrees, which can feel nearly 40 degrees cooler on peak summer days.

“That makes a real difference not just for park-goers and families, but for unhoused residents looking for relief in record-breaking heat,” Adam said.

ACF Senior Community Impact Officer Nicolas de la Fuente noted this project aligns with the work of ACF and partners around the urban heat island effect and climate equity as part of ACF’s strategic focus on the environment. It is one piece of a larger, layered response to heat that includes tree planting to increase the shade canopy, heat-relief locations, air-conditioning-repair programs, and now, access to safe drinking water. ACF links funding partners and brings experts together to respond to climate challenges in more holistic ways.

Councilman Galindo-Elvira shared, “The cooled drinking water effort became one of my top priorities… ACF was the first to offer its support. Thank you to ACF for recognizing the value of providing a community lifeline.”

ACF looks forward to expanding access to cooled water fountains in the months ahead, continuing its commitment to community health and heat relief where it’s needed most.