Several months ago, two members of Picayune’s City Council requested that water fountains be installed at parks within their respective precincts.

As a result, fountains were installed at Leola Jordan, J.P. Johnson, Snyder and Ben Taylor, at a cost of about $6,400, according to previous coverage.

The Item has recently toured those parks to see what kinds of fountains were installed, and if they are being used.

So far, it appears as though the community is appreciative of these methods of staying hydrated.

During a visit to Leola Jordan Park a young man pulled up on his bicycle and asked if that was a water fountain a staff member was photographing. He seemed elated that a fountain had been installed at the park where he plays basketball, saying he intended to use it.

During a subsequent stop at J.P. Johnson located on Rosa Street, three children could be seen shooting hoops.After a few minutes, they headed over to one of the two fountains installed at the park, taking turns to get a sip of water.

Installing these fountains was undoubtedly a good idea of Councilors Larry Breland and Lynn Bogan Bumpers.

The community has taken notice and are putting them to use.

But, it’s our hope that the community will also take care of these new amenities to ensure that they are not damaged.

Acts of vandalism damage so many aspects of our city, forcing our tax dollars to be wasted on repairs or replacements.

It would be unfortunate for the same thing to happen to these distribution points of thirst quenching water.

Because, the heat in South Mississippi is one thing, but the humidity can create situations where young people seeking exercise outside could be at risk of heat exhaustion.

Staying hydrated helps to ensure that does not happen.