Now, bottled water boss backs our tap campaign

Reed Paget, managing director of Belu natural mineral water, admitted he drinks tap water at home and said he was a "big fan" of our initiative.

His endorsement - the first from a mineral water company - comes a week after the Standard launched the campaign for tap water to be put on an equal footing with expensive and environmentallydamaging fizzy and still bottled water in restaurants and bars.

Hundreds of restaurants, cafés and bars, from The Wolseley to Starbucks, as well as the Mayor, MPs and ministers, have signed up in support.

Mr Paget's company, which prides itself on its green credentials, sells 500,000 bottles of mineral water a month in shops including Tesco, Waitrose and Thresher as well as supplying schools and restaurants.

The business was launched in 2004 and last year grew by 300 per cent.

Mr Paget said: "I am a big fan of the Evening Standard campaign.

"No one would argue that using the tap is not the most environmentally friendly way of having a glass of water. I drink tap water at home and agree with the principle of drinking more tap water. It is great that there is a debate."

Belu water is sourced entirely in Britain and all its profits go towards funding clean water projects around the world. The bottles are made from corn and biodegrade in eight years.

Mr Paget said: "Occasionally you are somewhere you can't get tap water. Someone may still need to buy a bottle if they are out jogging or at a concert. So, for the occasions when people need to buy a bottle of water for whatever reason, at least we can offer them the next best option to tap water."

Water On Tap aims to make asking for and consuming tap water socially acceptable in every eating and drinking venue. Companies who join the campaign have to sign a pledge to offer and serve free tap water to customers without prejudice.

The campaign is designed to end the widespread practice of offering "still or sparkling" bottled water without mentioning that tap water is available. Diners and drinkers often feel like "cheapskates" for asking for it.

Britons drink three billion bottles every year and half a billion are flown or shipped from overseas. Transporting bottled water in Britain is estimated to produce 33,200 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual energy use of 6,000 homes.

Thames Water calculates that one litre of liquid from its taps accounts for 0.3 grammes of CO2 and costs about 0.097p a litre. A 750ml bottle of mineral water can have a carbon footprint 300 times higher.