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Council pulls plug on office water coolers
Sri Carmichael, Evening Standard7 Dec 2007
It could spell the end for the water cooler moment.
Although coolers have become a traditional place for office workers to exchange the latest gossip, a London council has deemed them - and bottled water - environmentally unfriendly and is insisting that staff switch to the tap variety instead.
Islington council believes it will save more than £8,000 a year on bottled water and thousands more on coolers after it agreed to stop paying for them.
The council, which says the move will reduce its carbon footprint, is now calling on the Greater London Authority and other London boroughs to follow suit.
The ban was approved this week after being proposed by Liberal Democrat council leader James Kempton.
He said: "What sense does it make to have water shipped around the world to use in bottles when we can just turn on the tap?
"London's tap water is good, so to me bottled water is a mystery. It's also a matter of the environmental damage caused by the transportationof bottled water, not to mention the production and disposal of the bottles.
"I'm proud that Islington is the greenest place in London and I'm calling on other councils and the Mayor to ensure that bottled water is not used in public buildings in the city." Water coolers have been criticised for the energy required to run themand the delivery of refills by road.
Mr Kempton hopes that restaurants and businesses will consider providing only tap water for diners and staff.
Westminster council also plans to get rid of water coolers by replacing them with chilled tap water at its Victoria headquarters within the next year.
Camden council is replacing water cooler in all its buildings with mains water filters.
A Kensington and Chelsea spokesman said: "The council has provided mains drinking water facilities for nearly all staff for many years. Only the water dispensed is cooled and the plastic cups provided are fully recyclable."
Jenny Bates of Friends of the Earth welcomed the moves, saying: "Transporting bottled water across the world increases carbon emissions and is also a staggering waste of resources."
Reader views (7)
I have recently joined a new comapny, we have brought to the uk market a machine that generates it's own sustainable drinking water supply, purely out of thin air, this technology is not new dehumidifiers have been around for years.In recent decades, we have become more aware of increasing damage to the environment . There is a growing realisation that the way we develop is not sustainable. Sustainable innovation . It means putting together a strategy for integrating sustainability considerations - environmental and social. this will be the future.
- Paul Larkin, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 15/05/2009 09:36
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It is this kind of simplistic analysis of an industry that further muddies the environmental debate. What is needed is informed analysis of products, environmental footprint of companies in the industry (both bottled water suppliers and mains water suppliers). We encourage our water cooler customers to make an informed and educated choice - pointing out that both products have an environmental footprint.
- Robert Laughton, London, 14/01/2008 10:55
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Before lauding the green credentials of the mains water supply industry, we should realise that it is responsible for 3% of total UK energy consumption. The carbon footprint generated in pumping water/wastewater and running treatment plants is massive. In addition, 3.5 billion litres of water are lost in mains leaks every day. Tap water only has an ‘invisible environmental footprint’ if you do not look for it.
There is also a big difference in environmental impact between the bottled water offered in a Chelsea restaurant and that delivered through coolers. While the Bottled Water Cooler Association continues to work on carbon footprint monitoring and emissions reduction, our own coolers already use returnable bottles that are recycled at the end of their life.
These long-life bottles contain natural water from our own spring, delivered to the local community, with no energy wasted on adding chlorine, fluoride or any of the other additives available through your tap.
Many people choose to drink water from bottles or chilled from water coolers even though mains water is available, simply because they prefer it. Of course environmental considerations are important, but, those with decision making responsibilities should look at the big picture.
In addition, employee preferences should be taken into consideration. Water is vital for health and most of us do not drink enough of it. Anything which might put consumers off drinking water, whatever its source, helps nobody.
- Ben Mcgannan, Marden, Kent, 12/12/2007 19:04
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Mains fed water is now recognised as the way to go and is economically more viable than bottles. The mains fed, European leading units, that I sell, now have Biocote silver ION technology incorporated in the dispensers,creating a barrier to bacteria, which along with in tank UV filtration,virtually eliminates infestations as can be found in all bottles at work.
- Colin Dealey, Tring, UK, 12/12/2007 18:01
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Bottled water is a disgrace. We have just installed a mains fed machine and it is ten times better. It's cheaper, it has a WRAS approval and the company is Carbon Zero registered.
The staff have their water cooler still, but the water is coming from the mains.
- Mark, Hampshire, 11/12/2007 14:51
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Bottled water is one of the biggest cons in the world.
- John, London, 07/12/2007 17:32
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We've recently changed to tap water and I really don't notice much difference.
- Isabel, Woking, England, 07/12/2007 16:50
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