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£5,000 prize to design a carafe
Mark Prigg, Science Correspondent14 May 2008
Thames Water and Mayor Boris Johnson today launched a contest to design a carafe for London tap water.
The competition, in association with the Evening Standard's Water On Tap campaign, has a £5,000 prize for the winning designer.
Judges include celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, Zaha Hadid, architect of the London Olympics aquatics centre, and Tony Juniper of Friends of the Earth. The winning design will be mass-produced next year and sold to the capital's bars, restaurants and hotels, with all profits going to charity Wateraid.
Our campaign encourages businesses to offer free tap water to customers as an alternative to environmentally harmful bottled water and to remove the stigma from diners asking for it.
Mr Johnson said: "I am pleased to encourage Londoners to choose tap water when they are eating out.
"Bottled water is environmentally damaging because it causes unnecessary waste and pollution. Tap water is a cheaper option that will also help protect the environment. This competition to design a beautiful carafe for tap water is a great idea and I urge talented designers to take part."
David Owens, chief executive of Thames Water, said: "In London we have probably the best drinking water in the world - we also have fantastic designers and creative ability. The carafe will demonstrate the City's commitment to providing high-quality drinking water while reducing the environmental impact of packaging and transporting bottled water."
The contest will be run by the Crafts Council and is open to all designers living, working or studying in the capital.
Organisers say the one-litre carafe should "embody the best qualities of contemporary design and craftsmanship, while meeting exacting criteria on sustainability".
