CITY CENTRE 鈥� 性视界传媒鈥檚 homeless along 135A Street have a water fountain, once again.

A 性视界传媒 woman who runs a soup kitchen met the Now-Leader on 性视界传媒鈥檚 infamous Strip Wednesday morning after the city installed a temporary fountain for the homeless.

In late June, Erin Schulte was disappointed after she noticed the absence of a water fountain the city had installed in the past during heat waves.

It was simply hooked up to a fire hydrant.

Schulte launched an 鈥� that garnered close to 800 signatures 鈥� calling on 性视界传媒 Fire Services and city hall to put it back.

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Schulte, who visits the Strip almost every day to distribute food and 鈥渓ots of water,鈥� said the homeless were begging her to try to get it back.

鈥淭hey were out of energy,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were lying on the ground. People with heat stroke. People really, really sunburnt. We go overseas and we do wells for third-world countries to get them access to fresh water. Although there鈥檚 a sink inside the front room there鈥檚 200 or more people on this Strip.鈥�

The city said its reason for not installing the fountain this summer was because water was available through service providers and they could 鈥渕obilize very quickly鈥� if the homeless were not getting water quickly enough. The city also cited health issues, specifically people bathing there in year鈥檚 past, as another reason it had yet to be installed.

But on July 26, the water fountain was installed, much to Schulte鈥檚 excitement.

The city鈥檚 bylaw enforcement officer Jas Rehal told the Now-Leader the city has been monitoring the situation and 鈥済iven the extended forecast, we had the fountain installed to ensure there is adequate water supply.鈥�

Standing at the freshly installed water fountain, which also has a spout for people to fill up water bottles or buckets, Schulte could barely contain her happiness.

Asked what she wanted to say to the city, she replied, 鈥淭hank you.鈥�

She only wishes it was done earlier.

鈥淚 just wish that they felt the same way that I did about the people down here because then this would have been here a month ago. It鈥檚 a small effort,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e already had all the equipment, we already have the manpower to install it and the cleaning supplies are really at a minimum to keep it in good condition. Again, I think it鈥檚 just dragging feet and politics and things taking so long. It鈥檚 a necessity. It鈥檚 clean water. This is a big city. We鈥檙e building all over the place. The least that we can do is give our most lost some dignity and some access.鈥�

She doesn鈥檛 credit her petition as the reason the city put the fountain back.

鈥淚 would like to think the right thing would have been done regardless,鈥� she told the Now-Leader. 鈥淚f you spend any amount of time down here with these people, you see how bad of condition they are later in the afternoon, when the sun is at its hottest. They already have to put their tents down so there isn鈥檛 a lot of shade. As you can see there鈥檚 not a lot of trees. There just isn鈥檛 the ability to hide away in the heat. It鈥檚 definitely necessary.鈥�

Schulte acknowledges it鈥檚 impossible to guarantee no one abuses the water fountain. And that was part of the city鈥檚 reasoning for not installing it when the Now-Leader inquired about the fountain鈥檚 absence last June.

Back in 2015, she said people were abusing it, but added 鈥渢here鈥檚 the mentally ill down here and there鈥檚 people who really just don鈥檛 know any better.鈥�

鈥淲hat I can promise the city is that there are people in place down here鈥� who have said they will 鈥渕onitor鈥� the fountain.

One is the same lady that takes it upon herself to bleach out the porta-potties for the homeless community, said Schulte.

鈥淭he homeless have put together a plan,鈥� she noted, later adding, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of of people really worried this is going to be taken away.鈥�

amy.reid@surreynowleader.com