Bath businesses are being urged to back a new campaign started by three mums to open a series of 10 public drinking fountains across the city.
Love Tap Water (LTW) will launch in April with a prototype fountain in St James’s Rampire, the public space opposite City of Bath College.
The idea is to encourage Bath residents and visitors to drink tap water on-the-go and rid the city of environmentally-damaging plastic bottles.
The project already has the support of Wessex Water and Bath & North East Somerset Council while Sir James Dyson will be designing a bespoke reusable stainless steel drinking bottle for LTW.
The campaign aims to make free, fresh drinking water available from 10 modern, iconic water dispensers – to be called Bath Water Holes – in open spaces across Bath, not only promoting wellbeing and re-establishing its status as a ‘city of water’ but also tackling the ever-growing number of plastic water bottles in the city which are used once and discarded.
The three women behind LTW – primary school teacher Ruth Poole, graphic designer Shelley Doyle, and Jo Eke, a marketing manager – are passionate about the message the campaign embodies. They were fed up buying expensive and environmentally-damaging bottles of water while out with their children – or being weighed down carrying one from home.
They are seeking business support for the campaign – from a major corporate backer to act as partner and have its logo emblazoned on the water holes, to all Bath firms to buy the drinking bottles for staff. Sponsors for events linked to the campaign are also being sought.
Ruth said: "Love Tap Water wants Bath to be a beacon for change throughout the country. We want residents and visitors to be able to drink the same good tap water they drink at home 'on the go'. Using our stainless steel bottles completes the health and sustainability package."
Subject to planning consent, the prototype will be followed by a further four water holes this Summer, with the remaining six to be installed over the next few years.
All 10 will be funded by Alternative Source, a charity set up to raise funds for overseas clean water projects. In return, all of the profits from the sale of the LTW bottles will be donated to Alternative Source and other water based charities.
The infrastructure and pipework will be installed by Wessex Water and water will be sourced from the chalk and limestone hills of Dorset and Wiltshire.
The water holes have been designed by PearsonLloyd, the award-winning London design studio which has developed a range of furniture, bus shelters and signs for Bath & North East Somerset Council. Unlike traditional drinking fountains, they are only for use with reusable bottles rather than users drinking straight from a spout.
Wessex Water chairman Colin Skellett said: “As the regional water provider we know how important good, hygienic water is to people. Bottled water costs on average 141 times more than tap water so providing the water holes where people can fill up makes complete sense.”
Council cabinet member for sustainable development Cherry Beath added: “The water holes would support our programme to enhance streets, spaces and public life in Bath city centre and help the environment by reducing plastic bottle waste. I hope Love Tap Water’s campaign is successful and that this innovative project is realised.”
Any business interested in supporting Love Tap Water should go to www.lovetapwater.co.uk for more information.
