A petition calling for the introduction of a nationwide network of free public water fountains has achieved more than 30,000 signatures within 48 hours of launch.
Running the campaign with cross-party political support is social impact company Ocean Bottle, which says that, at its peak, the petition was signed more than 1000 times an hour – once every 3.6 seconds.
Launched to coincide with World Refill Day – a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste – the petition highlights research that shows 78% of people in the UK own a reusable bottle but are often unable to fill it up on the go.
The petition reads: “With the help of central government funding, local councils must install a comprehensive network of refill spots across the UK.”
Carrying out a series of FOI requests in London Boroughs, Ocean Bottle says it found that there are approximately 19,000 people at each council-operated water fountain in the capital. The petition launch marks an expansion of the campaign beyond London by calling on councillors across England to heed public calls for more water fountains as temperatures rise for summer.
It is unacceptable that many Britons feel their only option to access drinking water on the go is to purchase single-use bottles.
Ocean Bottle co-founder Will Pearson commented: “With the UK in the midst of a heatwave the UK’s dangerously inadequate access to free drinking water is more clear than ever.
“It is unacceptable that many Britons feel their only option to access drinking water on the go is to purchase single-use bottles, and we’re glad to see that the public feels just as strongly. Now it’s on the government to heed this call and make free drinking water accessible to all.”
Pearson also said, in the “absence of clear government action”, he credits third-party initiatives for making free water more publicly available, highlighting City to Sea, which launched a refill campaign to make free drinking water available in thousands of cafes and restaurants.