Water on Tap Campaign

The Evening Standard has launched a campaign to make London's tap water freely available in restaurants and bars.

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 will sign a pledge to offer and serve free tap water to customers without prejudice.It will end the practice of offering "still or sparkling" bottled water without mentioning that water is available on tap. Diners and drinkers often feel stigmatised by asking for tap water. The campaign aims to slash the negative impact on the environment of bottled water. 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 emissions, 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, depending on where the liquid was shipped from. In a blind tasting organised by Decanter magazine, London tap water topped the table, even when competing with an expensive bottled mineral version, and several sommeliers ranked it as their favourite. Recent research by the National Consumer Council also found that 70 per cent of the public think mineral water in restaurants is too expensive. It found nine out of 10 British restaurants pushed diners to buy expensive bottled water and failed to offer them the liquid free on tap. Some charged up to £3.50 for a bottle they would have bought for 35p.

The Standard campaign is backed by Thames Water, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, and a host of London's finest chefs and restaurants, including Aldo Zilli.

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