Yesterday I went to the opening of a water fountain. When it comes to openings, it´s not the most rock and roll I´ve been to, I admit!
But it is exciting, as visitors to Bristol’s Millennium Square can now ‘Tap into Bristol’ and drink at a free drinking fountain that Bristol Water have installed, to celebrate Bristol 2015 European Green Capital year.
People are encouraged to bring re-usable bottles and use the free water supply during their city summer outings in order to reduce plastic waste and litter – and save money.
Typical Bristol fashion, it looks cool. There´s huge art work surrounding it by Jody @Digital-Fire so it can´t be missed. There´s also a fancy porthole to show the underground infrastructure. Not sure about you, but I don´t think about what´s going on under the ground when I turn on the tap… it makes a nice change to see some of the workings.
On Bristol Water site they say:
We Brits spend about £1.5 billion on bottled water every year and send the equivalent of about 15 million bottles to landfill each day. Water that comes from UK taps is the most stringently tested in the world, it undergoes daily rigorous inspection to check its quality whilst bottle water only gets checked monthly at source. From a health, price and environment perspective, tap water is just better.
Looking at those facts and figures I can´t believe I was always buying bottles of water… If for no other reason, fill up to save yourself some money! I have bought a few reusable water bottles over the last 6 years as I´ve lost a couple, but I have spent NO WHERE near what I use to spend on water . This bottle I´ve manged to not lose in 6 country’s, so I´m getting better!
Bristol Water are monitoring the usage of the fountain (with a water meter) if it´s used enough they may be others installed across the city…. So get on down there, have a quick drink, or fill up for free and ‘Tap into Bristol’ !
For more information go to Bristol Waters website Bristol Water Millennium Square – drinking fountain
Being-PALL 
Reblogged this on SouthWestBiz WordPress Blog.
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I have a small involvement in this project and hope it really takes off. All cities should have safe drinking water fountains to improve public health and reduce waste. Nice article.
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Cool, what have you been doing? I hope it takes of too!
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Thank you!
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I sit on the Bristol Green Capital water group, which is where this idea comes from. Partners include Bristol Water, Wessex Water, ARUP and the Environment Agency, amongst others. I represent the latter. If this drinking fountain is a success, we will look at how to replicate it around the City…nothing quite as fancy as this one though.
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Oh that´s interesting…. I´m pleased you´ve found my blog! So, it´s been a joint effort then, brilliant! What does it need to make it a “success”? lots of usage?
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Usage and interest. We would like more people to engage with the water story, and to care more about water, with the aim that they will behave better with water. Be more water efficient, think about pollution, where the waste water goes and what you put in it. How we can avoid blocking waterways and causing flood risks. Ans so on…
The main themes of drinking water fountains is public health (better to drink water from a fountain than a fizzy drink). Waste, buying bottled water is unbelievably wasteful. Efficiency and a connection with water.
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The art work and porthole work with that! Really made me think about it, and just the short time I was there there were quite a few people coming along and having a peek in.
Public health, on many levels. Better to drink water than fizzy, and less waste will mean healthier oceans, which means healthier us! I really hope it takes off, it makes sense in so many ways!
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Great to see it up an running (no pun intended), I’ll be sure to bring my drinking bottle on my next visit into town!
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Haha! Isn´t it indeed. Yes do, and let your friends know!
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