Water UK

Drinking water on the move

25/05/07

This is not surprising. The industry exists to supply safe drinking water and effective sanitation. And when people are at home a high quality service is there for them 24 hours a day.

However in a highly mobile society questions are increasingly raised about whether and how an equivalent service should be offered to people on the move.

Wastewater services are obviously available beyond the front door (though at varying levels of quality and convenience). But the public water supply for drinking is conspicuous by its absence in most public places: think only of shopping centres, airports, train stations, hospitals, restaurants or nightclubs. In these and other areas citizens have no access to the drinking water produced for them.

You might say that this is fair enough. For one thing why should the organisations responsible for these spaces incur an extra cost? It is not as if water is unavailable since we have a keen packaged water sector a part of whose mission is to serve the travelling public.

But you might also agree that the issue is worth considering. Especially since supplying drinking water to patrons is hardly expensive compared with the goodwill likely to result. And especially given worries about dangerous climate change (delivering ever higher volumes of water in plastic is no obvious help).

Through its Water for Health Alliance, Water UK is receiving positive interest and support from among others cafe and restaurant chains, cinemas and licensed premises who are beginning to see the sense of increasing access to fresh tap water throughout the day.

Contact: Nick Ellins