During my last summer internship, I did a site visit to Massachusetts’ first networked geothermal project in Framingham. By tapping into the earth’s natural heat, geothermal heat pumps provide clean and affordable cooling/heating to those in the geothermal network. I’m staying at the Grand Morillon Residence this semester, and according to the institute’s website, the residence “reflects the Graduate Institute’s deep concern for sustainable development.” Aside from the intentional physical composition of the visible building, I learned that the residence uses a similar cooling system as the one in Framingham. To maintain the building’s temperature, “the residence uses the GeniLac system, which draws water from the depths of the lake for cooling, and a district heating network, which mainly uses the energy released by the combustion of household waste for heating.”

While I’ve promenaded along the waterfront many times, I’ve only plunged myself in Lac Leman (also called Lake Geneva) once. Despite the warm, sunny day, the water was frigid. I wasn’t surprised, though, because I had learned that the lake’s water comes from the Alps, specifically the Rhone River (Rhône), during an excursion through the city that our French class had taken earlier in the semester. The lake is a popular social spot and equally important to the city’s history and culture. It’s always bustling with people, from locals to tourists. Unfortunately, and also unsurprisingly, Lac Leman is the warmest it has ever been according to the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL). You can see the surface temperature of the lake on their website. I wonder what’ll happen to all the animals and marine life unique to the lake as the years go on. The lake is so beautiful, especially when you get to see it from different towns.

If you head to the Old Town, there’s a beautiful park by the lake, Parc La Grange. There are a few fountains there, some with drinkable water and others just for display. I’ve only visited a handful of countries in Western Europe, but I’ve come across public taps with drinkable water in each one. I think it’s a wonderful thing—everybody should have access to drinking water. I guess there are public water fountains in the United States as well, but I think the mouth-to-faucet design makes them less hygienic, and they are quite sparse, guessing from the few that I’ve seen. In Geneva, tap water is mainly sourced from Lac Leman and is regulated by the Services industriels de Genève (SIG). I haven’t had the public tap water in a while, but the water from my sink tastes clean and neutral.

At my sit spot, there are many ponds, small streams, and short waterfalls around the botanic garden. It’s relaxing to sit close to the water because it helps to drown out the noise of cars passing by on the other side of the fence. I found a public tap by the goat enclosure, but it wasn’t running. I’m not sure if it’s because the water is completely shut off or because the garden was closing. The next time I visit, I’ll take a small sip if it’s running and see if there are any other fountains in the garden.