The best advice I received before my family’s recent trip to Rome (the one in Italy, not rural Georgia) is to get a reusable, collapsible, lightweight water bottle that I can easily carry around with me on a day’s adventures.

I found one with a carabiner that allowed me to clip it directly to my bag, and let me tell you, it became a constant companion – dare I say, a best friend – as I traveled around the city.

But perhaps even more important than the bottle was the water, which is available throughout the city from the nasoni, which are large, cast-iron public drinking fountains that provide constant streams of fresh, cool water. My bottle was almost never empty, because I kept finding new fountains tucked away in alleys or waiting in the middle of a public square.

This was especially important because for the entirety of my visit to Rome, Europe was dealing with a heatwave that smashed records day after day. Italy was actually on the outskirts of the worst of the heat, but highs reached the upper 90s every afternoon (the average high in Rome for June is about 80 degrees), and there were no clouds to provide any shade.

As someone who has lived in Georgia her entire life, I can attest to the fact that it was hot. And while it’s easy to point to common access to air conditioning in the United States as proof that we can handle the heat, most places don’t have that type of access to drinking water.

While publicly available water fountains do exist in the U.S., there’s definitely a different culture surrounding them, especially in comparison to bottled water. In fact, the U.S. is one of the largest consumers of bottled water in the world, second only to China. Bottled water is viewed as cleaner, better tasting and more convenient than tap water, and public water fountains have the added detriment of unknown cleanliness and pipe integrity.

Some drinking fountains outside may look unkempt and run down but are actually be safe sources of potable water.

Despite messaging from some major corporations, tap water in high-income and upper-middle-income countries often is safer than bottled water because of different regulations and the presence of microplastics from plastic water bottles. Of course, this isn’t the case across the board, and you should always be aware of the quality of water in your area and, when in doubt, opt for a water fountain with a filtration system.

Many other public drinking fountains are available to the public but are privately owned, like water fountains in a grocery store. You can’t count on just coming upon one in your everyday life - you have to scope out potential sources of water before you head out on a walk.

It isn’t always easy to find water fountains. You may not be able to pull up your usual maps app and look up “drinking fountain”. It may take a bit of searching and creative thinking to find them.

And what is true for some isn’t true for all – just because one city has reliable access to drinking water does not mean that everywhere else does.

How to cope in a heat wave

Obviously, it isn’t a viable answer to say “just stay inside during a heat wave”. Not only do humans need fresh air and sunshine, but many of our pets need time outside to burn off energy (anyone with a working or herding breed knows what I’m talking about).

Here are a few steps you can take to make your trips outside a little more enjoyable and safer, because “I’ll drink water when I get home” is a great answer until you’re stuck somewhere without any water.

Major cities (like New York City and San Francisco) often have resources explaining where public drinking fountains are located, so you can map out a few options before you head out for the day. And if your city doesn’t have a designated site, look for crowdsourced resources like maps from local running communities or apps like WeTap where locals can report water fountain access.

When in doubt, the public library is typically a reliable option for free and easy access to drinking water. Universities with public access to some buildings also typically have water fountains in them, and modern buildings often even have water bottle refilling stations.

Keep a water bottle with you at all times, whether it’s a collapsible one you carry with you or a fully insulated one you fill in the morning and keep in your car, that you can easily refill when you’re out running errands. I know people make fun of the concept of an “emotional support water bottle”, but trust me when I say that it works.

Remember that a glass of ice water may cool you down faster, but room-temperature water is more quickly absorbed into your body, which can be important for a quick boost of hydration. If you’re out and the only option for water is on the warmer side, go for it. It may not be the most “refreshing”, but it could be exactly what your body needs.

In the words of my college marching band: 

Hydrate. Don’t diedrate.

(even if it takes a little more planning to make sure that happens)

What you should take away from this:

• Check the local government for maps of public water fountains.
• If none are available, check local runners groups and apps like WeTap
• The public library and university buildings often have water fountains inside
• Always have a water bottle with you - an insulated one for the car and a collapsible one on your person
• Cold water may be more enjoyable, but all water hydrates and is worthy of drinking

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.