tapwater.org is mapping pubs and cafes where the public can refill drinking water bottles
Tap water may soon be more easily accessible on UK high streets thanks to a newly-launched scheme that aims to help people stay hydrated, save money and reduce waste.
An online map at tapwater.org and accompanying iPhone app highlight participating refilling stations in cafes, pubs and shops.
Spokesperson Cristina Dalton said: “With 2.7m tonnes of plastic used to bottle water worldwide every year, now is the time to ditch those bottles and get back to the tap.”
The organisation sells a reusable steel water bottle on its website. As a not-for-profit, tapwater.org puts all profits from the sale of bottles towards raising awareness of the environmental impacts of bottled water, expanding the network of refilling stations and making more refilling stations available in educational establishments.
The organisation is working towards having a refilling station every 400 metres in urban areas. Its website offers information about the differences between tap and bottled water – for example that bottled water costs, on average, 500 times more than tap water – and answers common questions about the differences in health benefits between the two types of water.