Top up water tap planned for Falkirk’s Callendar Park

Something’s in the pipeline at Callendar Park as it could soon have an outdoor water bottle filling station.

Roseanna Cunningham, MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform supports Scottish Waters efforts

Scottish Water has applied for planning permission to install the ‘top up tap’ beside the mound close to Callendar House, where plenty of walkers, joggers, dog owners and families pass every day.

The new tap is part of the firm’s bid to encourage people to ditch expensive and wasteful plastic bottles and instead carry their own container which can be refilled straight from the tap.

Scott Fraser, regional communities manager at Scottish Water, said: “We have submitted plans to install our first outdoor water refill tap in the Falkirk Council area at Callendar Park, a popular area with a range of activities for people of all ages.”

“The refill taps are part of our Your Water Your Life campaign which encourages people to carry reusable bottles and top up with healthy, free tap water.

“We have already installed ten taps as part of our wider project to create a network of outdoor water refill stations across the country to offer people access to fresh, clean drinking water at the push of a button.”

Roseanna Cunningham, MSP Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, supports the company’s efforts.

She said: “This is a fantastic campaign which fits in with our work to reduce Scotland’s dependence on single use plastic and is raising awareness of the health benefits of drinking more tap water, which is excellent in quality and value.

“We would encourage people to make the switch to reusable bottles if they can as it will help protect the environment and can save money.”

The planning permission seeks to place a blue, stainless steel top up tap in place, 1.626m in height and 0.254m in diameter, and if approved by the council should be in place by autumn.

The taps are connected to the mains water supply and inspected regularly and Scottish Water says the units can digitally track how much water has been issued and record both the cost and plastic savings.

It will be the same design as others placed around the country, to make them instantly recognisable to thirsty passers-by.

In the UK 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are used each year, with the average person in the UK using 150 plastic water bottles every year – more than three a week.

A recent Scotland-wide study found that almost two-thirds of people now carry a refillable water bottle with them at least some of the time.