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The Nature Conservancy of Central and Western New York, Xerox, and the City of Rochester offered a small but important service during the just-ended Jazz Fest: they provided a water bottle filling station that festival-goers could use for free.

This isn't a radical idea, or a new one. Filling stations have been brought in for various local events, which is a good thing since people should have free and ready access to water at public events. But they have another benefit: the filling stations lead to drastic reductions in the amount of bottled water consumed during these festivals.

The Jazz Fest filling station was open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily at the corner of Gibbs and East Main streets. In total, it distributed about 245 gallons of water, which saved an estimated 1,856 bottles, according to the Nature Conservancy. A spokesperson for the organization says that it hopes to offer the service again next year.