Pasadena Water and Power and the Public Works Department's Building Systems and Fleet Management Division have installed a hydration station at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, located at 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. The new bottle-filling spot gives residents another place to refill personal water bottles with tap water at a site that already serves as a hub for community health and social services.
The installation was reported by Pasadena Now, which covers the project as part of Pasadena Water and Power's broader hydration-station initiative. The program was launched in May 2019 to expand access to tap water while encouraging conservation and reduced plastic waste, according to Pasadena Water and Power. The utility's stated mission includes raising awareness about the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of Pasadena's drinking water, per the City of Pasadena.
Why the Jackie Robinson Center Matters
The Jackie Robinson Community Center isn't just a government building with a new water fountain. According to the City of Pasadena, the center works with community-based organizations and agencies to provide health and social services to residents of all ages. It's also designated as a cooling center, offering air-conditioned public space during periods of extreme heat, the city says.
That designation carries weight nationally. The CDC reported 2,391 heat-related deaths in the United States in 2024, and the agency has said older adults, young children, and people with chronic medical conditions face the highest risk of heat-related illness and death. The CDC also advises people to drink plenty of fluids even when they don't feel thirsty — guidance that lines up directly with a facility built to keep both water and cool air flowing to the public.
How the Rebate Program Works
Pasadena's hydration-station program offers rebates of up to $1,500 for eligible indoor bottle-filling stations installed by Pasadena-based organizations and commercial customers, the station's program page notes. Funding is limited, and the rebates are awarded first-come, first-served, so sites that apply earlier have a better shot at securing the incentive.
To qualify, a site must be publicly accessible, located within Pasadena's service area, and see either high pedestrian traffic or recreational activity, according to the program's application and guidelines document. Applicants must receive approval before starting any work, then complete installation within 60 days of that approval date. Once a station passes inspection and a purchase receipt is submitted, the rebate gets paid out — but the City of Pasadena does not cover installation or maintenance costs, and applicants must post signage supplied by the utility. Completed applications can be emailed to [email protected].
There's a wrinkle in the fine print worth flagging: the program's public webpage states that a maximum of one rebate will be issued per water account per fiscal year, while the official application guidelines state the cap applies per entity per fiscal year. Pasadena Water and Power has not clarified which version governs current applications.
Other Stations Already Up and Running
The Jackie Robinson Center joins a small but growing list of hydration points across the city. Pasadena Now's program coverage lists existing stations at Pasadena City College, Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena City Hall, and New Horizon School. Pasadena installed its first municipal hydration station at City Hall, and the Rose Bowl Operating Company separately received a $9,000 rebate for installing six hydration stations at Brookside Golf Club, the outlet reported.
A 2025 Pasadena Now report described the broader effort as a five-year initiative offering businesses $1,500 incentives for indoor bottle-filling stations, and the same report said Pasadena Water and Power plans additional hydration-station installations throughout the city. No locations or timeline for those future sites have been specified.
