Artesian Commons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Artesian Commons |
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Park entrance seen from 4th Avenue
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| Type | Municipal (Olympia) |
| Location | 415 4th Ave SE Olympia, Washington |
| Area | 0.2 acres (810 m2) |
| Created | May, 2014 |
| Operated by | Olympia Parks Department |
| Status | Closed |
Artesian Commons is a small park in downtown Olympia, Washington. It was built in May 2014. This park is special because it is built around a natural artesian spring. The city of Olympia describes it as their first true urban park.
The Special Spring Water
For a long time, people in Olympia have used the free water from this downtown artesian spring for drinking. Other local businesses also use artesian water. For example, a brewery across the street and other nearby businesses use it to make beer and kombucha.
The city regularly tests the artesian well water. This is done to make sure it is safe to drink. In 2015, tests showed that lead levels were very low. They were much lower than the safety limits set by the government. A survey in 2016 showed that many park visitors filled up bottles with 4 to 6 gallons of water to take home. For 70% of these people, this was their only source of drinking water.
Art and Local Stories
The artesian well in the park is decorated with beautiful public art murals. These murals were created by a local artist named Jennifer Kuhns.
There is a fun local story, or urban legend, about Olympia's artesian springs. People say that if you drink water from one of the over 90 artesian springs in Olympia, you will always return to the city.
