An assembly member has called for more water fountains to be introduced in London on World Refill Day as temperatures soar.
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, deputy chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee has backed reusable bottle company Ocean Bottle’s campaign to get more water fountains installed across the capital.
In April the Evening Standard revealed a wide disparity of drinking fountains across the capital.
Statistics, gained through Freedom of Information requests, found the highest numbers of fountains were in Southwark (53), Lambeth (51) and Lewisham (43), with only one in Barking and Dagenham and none in Havering.
Last month politicians including Islington North independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell called on the government to ‘build a network of fountains across the UK’.
On Friday to coincide with World Refill Day – a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste – a petition has been launched calling on more fountains being installed.
It has already gained more than 25,000 signatures.
Recent polling shows that three quarters of UK adults say they can go a whole day without seeing a water fountain while out and about.
Britons spend approximately £1.6 billion per year on bottled water, much of which is imported from abroad.
The petition reads: “With the help of central government funding, local councils must install a comprehensive network of refill spots across the UK.”
Ocean Bottle co-founder Will Pearson said: “The hottest day of 2022 saw 638 more deaths than normal in England. Regular access to water is essential in protecting people from dehydration, overheating and heat exhaustion, all of which put pressure on the NHS and can be fatal.
“Yet currently there are not nearly enough water fountains around to help keep people hydrated in the summer months, leading to enormous public health risks.”
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM, Deputy Chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, said: “As temperatures soar, World Refill Day is a real chance for the millions of people who carry around a reusable bottle to make their voice heard.
“I hope that many will sign this petition and that councils and central government alike will then sit up and take notice. Water refill points should be as common a sight as postboxes and litter bins – without them, too many people end up buying water bottled in polluting plastic.”
The petition is available for everyone to sign at Change.org.
