Refill (the national campaign for drinking tap water!)

Although sometimes bottled water is okay for emergencies, tap water in England is safe, thoroughly tested and cheap, and requires no plastic bottles. Whether you’re a London commuter, a dog walker or just someone keen to refill your bottle, finding a refill station has never been simpler.

Refill is the national (and international) campaign to encourage the use of safe tap water, to reduce single use plastic. Shops, restaurants, hotels, offices, councils, universities, colleges, schools and communities can all get involved.

Just use the free app (or find notices) to find a local refill station (to refill a reusable bottle) or find a drinking water foundation. This will also save you pots of money.

If you are a shop or business that wants to get involved, Refill will get you started, with PR training and marketing materials. Tap water sometimes has added chlorine and fluoride, but neither will kill you. And around 2 litres a day will cost a few pence, compared to around £2.50 for bottled water.

If tap water is cloudy, this is usually due to sediment build-up in the pipes caused by too much air, or dissolved minerals, which give a milky appearance. It should be harmless due to UK quality checks, and more common in hard water areas.

Refill London City

90% of people in London own a reusable bottle, so the campaign is hoping to reduce the estimated one million single-use plastic bottles sold each year (including tourists). Water bottles are responsible for lots of litter in the Thames river.

There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere. Annie Leonard

Big cities usually have more refill options, especially in transport hubs, shopping centres, and around tourist spots. If Refill does not cover your area, look into apps like FreeTaps (you can also add free tap water locations).

Water Fountains and Public Refill Points

Most cities place public fountains or refill points in:

• City centres and squares
• Parks and green spaces
• Train stations and airports
• Libraries and museums

Refill points in these areas are often marked with a small blue water droplet or bottle symbol. In the UK, many pubs and cafés also welcome people popping in to fill their bottle. Don’t be shy. A quick conversation with a staff member nearly always leads to a friendly fill-up!

In Italy, every town and village has a concrete public water drinking fountain. So why not in England? Some local councils have even filled them with cement, rather than fresh drinking water? 

Obviously since COVID especially, water fountains need to be safe (modern ones have two different heights, to serve people in wheelchairs).

But despite their rarity in England today, public drinking fountains have actually been around since the 100s, when the Metropolitan Free Drinking Fountain Association began to ensure that people in London had access to free safe water. The first fountain (in London church) had 7000 visits a day. And the city used to have 800 drinking fountains, with hundreds of thousands of users.

So what happened? Some suspect that due to England now being not a nation of independent shops but of big shopping malls, airports and petrol stations, that monies given to councils for rent, results in a conflict of interest. If people did not buy lots of bottled water, these chains may close, and councils would then lose rent.

California’s ‘Fountain of Woof!’

Beyond public fountains and cafés, local groups are shaking things up. California’s ‘Fountain of Woof’ is a perfect example. This clever station in the Northern Californian dog-friendly town of Carmel, provides water not only for people but also for dogs, blending pet-friendly spaces with hydration for all.

‘Fountain of Woof’ sits at the heart of the town, and features a concrete dog statue, that spurts out fresh water for thirsty hounds.

Tap Water Ideas for Offices & Councils

• Councils can install water hydration stations so people can easily fill their bottles for free. These filter out impurities and keep water at the correct temperature.
• Belu offers water filters for pubs, restaurants and hotels, and also  sparkling water in (minimum 40% recycled) glass bottles of various sizes. Profits help clean safe water projects. Same as Frank Water Coolers (which helps Indian children).

How Much Water Should We Drink?

We need water to keep cool, remove waste, and help our joints, brains and eyes (fresh water is also found in raw product like watermelons and bananas). The average person needs around 1.2 litres of water a day (more for athletes, hot weather, some medical conditions and after vomiting/diarrhoea).

So how much is 1.2 litres? Around 6 x 200ml glasses. So drink 2 glasses when you wake up, another 2 before lunch and dinner, and in a couple of weeks you’ll be hydrated. The caveat is that your body loses water with tea, coffee, cola and alcohol. So add an extra glass, for each one of those you drink. It’s easier to reduce caffeine and alcohol, so you are not guzzling water all day to compensate.

What Kind of Water Should Pets Drink?

Spring and filtered water are fine, you may find health and fur improves. But vets say that (unless medically given) to avoid distilled water (removes minerals and electrolytes). Never give fizzy water to pets, as it could cause bloat.

Don’t let pets drink from puddles. It may taste nice to them, but could contain remnants of bacteria, oil or antifreeze.