London streets now even wetter

New water refill points in the city aim to tackle the crisis of single-use plastic

CIEH's sustainable venue business, 15Hatfields, has helped to introduce 10 water refill points in the centre of London.

The first one was unveiled last month in the heart of the City of London. The remainder will be installed this year near transport hubs and in parks and squares.

The initiative is part of the City Corporation's Plastic Free City campaign. As part of the campaign, 149 pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants have volunteered to join a network of water bottle refill stations. Members of the public can find all of these on an app called Refill, which aims to prevent plastic pollution at source by making reusing a bottle easier than buying a new one.

Warren Campbell, General Manager of 15Hatfields, said:

"As 15Hatfields is one of London’s most sustainable venues, it is important that we help to drive change wherever we can. We are more than just a venue – we represent CIEH wherever we can. Edwin Chadwick, the first president of CIEH's predecessor, had a huge role in cleaning up London’s water supply in the 19th century to fight cholera. Now we’re helping to bring modern-day fountains to life across the nation, tackling a 21st-century crisis: single-use plastic."

This article is adapted from a piece that appeared in the April 2019 issue of EHN.