Rome diary: Water, water everywhere

Water outlets like this show up all over Rome, providing a constant free-flowing supply of water to whoever comes along. This one is handy for the vendors in the nearby street market.

No stale water for the dogs who romp in the Villa Doria Pamphilj park! 

Water pours out of the mouths of all the creatures in this street-corner fountain.

At first I thought it was a mistake: somebody had forgotten to turn a tap off. Water was pouring out of a little metal hydrant on the boulevard near my apartment in Rome. There was a white plastic bucket – overflowing – under its spout, though, so at least somebody knew this was happening.

Then I realized these little water outlets were everywhere, spouting away. Smack-dab in the middle of sidewalks, in the parks, in the museum gardens. Usually there was a basin carved into the concrete base, and a drain for the continually flowing water. The one in my area, just outside the daily street market, was the only one with a plastic container, though. Market vendors used it as a handy outdoor sink.

The hydrants aren’t the only source of water on the streets of Rome. At intersections, particularly in the older areas, there are often water features, sometimes small, sometimes big and elaborately carved. Most spectacular: the Quattro Fontane – an ensemble of four Late Renaissance fountains at every one of four corners of a busy intersection.

Coming from a place where water conservation is a virtue, all this free-flowing water made me a bit anxious. But after a tour guide told us the street-outlet water is perfectly drinkable, I began using it to refill my water bottle. It turned out to be some of the best water I have ever tasted. Whole rivers of this delicious water may be going down the drain, but no walker – or their dog – ever has to go thirsty in Rome.

The water in this bathtub-shaped sculpture on a Roman street didn't look very drinkable.

A stone creation, complete with inscription,  that would be handy for thirsty dogs. 

Back to the hydrants. Notice how this one is in the middle of a sidewalk. And how close it is to the car, also on the sidewalk.

This hydrant is in the garden of the Etruscan Museum in the Villa Borghese area of Rome. It's a bit secluded; no concerns about a car driving into it.