“To encourage people to exercise, there must be a form of easy refreshment.”

Picture this: the park, downtown, at 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday. The temperature outside is a perfect 72 degrees with a clear blue sky and a light breeze that blows bold green grass and budding tree branches. There are kids playing on the small playground, climbing up and down the slide, chugging a soda. A woman and her tiny Australian Terrier are going for a walk, and she stops at the drinking fountain near the playground to lift her dog up and get him a drink of water — leaving his long hair right there in the bowl of the sink.

That scenario isn’t likely with Most Dependable Fountains’ line of products. The company sells customized outdoor refreshment products for municipalities: products that encourage healthy lifestyles while providing everything parks and utility departments need in one customized unit that will last.

From filtered bottle fillers to pet fountains, and even misters for athletes, Most Dependable Fountains has everything a municipality needs to fulfill the refreshment needs of residents.

“Water refreshment and play go hand-in-hand,” said Angela Horne, marketing director at Most Dependable Fountains. “We have to encourage movement.”

The newest line of refreshment products from Most Dependable Fountains is the Greenway Bottle Filler. Completely nonelectric, like most of Most Dependable Fountain’s products, the bottle filler provides filtered water and is useful for runners and athletes in parks or on greenways.

“People who are running are conscious and are healthy. Normally, they take their water with them. (They’re) more likely to use a filtered water bottle filler than (they) are a drinking fountain,” added Horne. “To encourage people to exercise, there must be a form of easy refreshment. Have you been to an amusement park or zoo and walked through the misting station? They cool you off so you can continue to stay and play. This leads to purchasing meals, souvenirs, etc. It’s good for business.”

Most Dependable Fountains offers a wide variety of products for outdoor refreshment. Besides the bottle fillers, there are also outdoor showers for pool areas, jug fillers, misters and water play equipment, hand washing stations and even pet fountains.

“You have to make the park attractive to more than just a few people, because if you don’t, you don’t get the funding you need to support the park,” explained Horne.

Most Dependable Fountains understands that municipalities work with tight budgets that often include bid programs. Products from Most Dependable Fountains offer valuable incentives that can save cities money in the long run.

“When we build something, we build it to last,” said Horne. “You can put a cheap fountain in a park every week and it’s going to get torn up. You don’t accomplish anything.”

Most Dependable Fountains began 25 years ago with two master plumbers working in the parks and recreation department of Memphis, Tenn. They realized the drinking fountains in the parks were not standing up to public use because they were constantly in need of repair.

The initial design of the company was very sturdy and very low maintenance. Using solid, stainless steel bubblers rather than the popular but softer copper bubblers, the men were able to build a product that has been known to withstand everything from general wear-and-tear to being backed into by a steamroller.

“When we build something, we build it to last,” stated Horne.

Municipalities can choose the color, style and specific add-ons to create the most appropriate piece for their municipal needs.

“The majority of the fountains we sell are high-low, and then we put a pet fountain on it. You have to have something that functions and does its job and provides water for people, because you may have an area that is really limited and can only afford one fountain.”

Most Dependable Fountains also offers an economically-friendly line of products for small budgets with big dreams.

“Water is important. It just is. You have to have restrooms, you have to have water fountains and both of these are not only required in many instances, they’re imperative,” said Horne. “Our products complement exercise activities and form a partnership to promote healthy communities.”

Now, picture this: the park, downtown, still 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The weather is, instead, nearly 85 degrees; but with the new outdoor cooling mister, members of the local men’s soccer team can play for a good few hours before they’re tired out. Kids bring swimsuits to the park to run through the customized play towers. Dogs and people alike can get their exercise at the park, knowing the fountain or bottle filler they need is exactly what they’ll find at the park, and city officials will have the peace of mind of knowing the refreshment equipment will last for years to come.