City of Bloomington Utilities: Functional Water Cart

The Challenge

Portable drinking fountains, in the form of hoses hooked up to water carts, are rising in popularity. In 2016, Bloomington’s Water Quality Coordinator wanted to have a water cart available for community events, such as festivals and football games. However, water carts offered on the market proved expensive, not very functional, and not designed well to serve as a marketing or ambassador tool for local tap water.

The Idea 

With no product on the market suitable to the specific need, either because of cost or functional design, a do-it-yourself cart became the best way forward. And that’s exactly what Brian Shipley, an Engineering Field Technician for CBU, innovated. Offering his time and labor to cut the wood pieces by hand, weld the cart together, lay the countertop, and create the graphics and paste them to the cart, Brian was able to create a water cart rather inexpensively and customizable to the needs of the team.

The Cost 

Compared to the market prices, this innovative cart comes in as a much cheaper option (about $2600 in comparison to the $10-12K market carts of similar quality cost). The comparatively low cost of materials makes this cart a great tool to use throughout the community. 

The Benefit

This fully functional, cheap, and attractive water cart is one of the best ambassadors for Bloomington tap water when it makes appearances at community events such as IU football games and Taste of Bloomington. After the first cart was such a success, CBU asked Brian to make two more. There are now three water carts in circulation, and any City of Bloomington department can ask CBU to loan them for events. *2020 update: note that carts are not in use during the pandemic as in-person community events are discouraged at this time.

Metadata

City Department(s): City of Bloomington Utilities

City Point of Contact: Brian Shipley, Engineering Field Technician 

Partner(s): N/A

Partner(s) Point(s) of Contact: N/A

Type of Innovation: Equipment / Mechanical

Date Implemented: Late 20116/Early 2017