Commuter Water
An article in London’s Observer newspaper details a creative plan to install modern day drinking fountains in underground, bus, and railway stations across London and the south-east before the 2012 Olympics. According to the article, Hydrachills will be installed at Hammersmith bus station and at the Tower Bridge museum to help lure the roughly 400,000 visitors annually that pass through the two sites away from buying bottled water.
Hydrachill water dispensing stations can fill bottles of up to 500ml (approx 16 oz) with chilled water for a 20p (approx 30 cent) charge. Concerning the tap’s water quality, the local Drinking Water Inspectorate’s latest water quality report said Thames Water–Britain’s largest privatized water company and the source for the Hydrachill machines–was 99.99% compliant with national and European standards.
Adding further benefits, all proceeds will be donated to Waste Watch, a UK environmental charity working to change the way people use the world’s natural resources. According to the article, of the 13 billion plastic bottles of all types sold in the UK last year, only a third were recycled.
Imagine if Hydrachill-like machines were installed in New York’s subway and San Francisco’s BART stations. Combined with a BPA-free bottle, commuters would have ready access to high quality drinking water at a fraction of the cost and at a substantially lower carbon footprint to deliver.
YouTube Video: Hydrachill Refilling Station
