The Mayor's draft water strategy - london.gov.uk - Greater London ...

3.48 The use of reclaimed water includes water
used for watering planted areas, washing
paving and similar purposes within the
development where water from the public
supply would otherwise be used. Chapters
4 and 5 give further consideration to the
use of rainwater and grey water to meet
domestic water needs respectively.
Drinking water quality and
bottled water
3.49 So far there has been little mention of
drinking water in this strategy. This is largely
down to the excellent quality of drinking
water. In the UK our drinking water is of a
very high standard, and among the best in
the world. Nevertheless, misconceptions
associated with the quality of tap water, in
terms of taste and perceived ‘unhealthiness’
of tap water, can encourage people to
purchase bottled water. In terms of cost, tap
water is roughly 1000 times cheaper than
bottled water, with 50 glasses of tap water
costing one penny. Bottled water, per litre,
can be more expensive than petrol.
3.50 The Mayor and Thames Water launched
the London on Tap campaign in February
2008 to promote tap water in London’s
restaurants, cafes and pub. It aims to:
• raise awareness of the high quality of
London’s tap water, the contribution of
bottled water to climate change, and the
benefits of drinking water to health and
wellbeing
• encourage customers in bars and
restaurants to ask for tap water rather than
feeling obliged to ask for more expensive
bottled brands
• encourage restaurants, bars and hotels
across London to proudly serve tap water
to customers, giving them a real choice
about what water they can drink
• Last December, the Mayor announced
the winner of a competition to design a
carafe that will be used to serve tap water
in restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels
throughout the capital.
The Mayor also supports the concept of
drinking water fountains and is keen to see
them wherever possible in London.
Proposal 7 The Mayor will work with the
water companies and other partners to raise
awareness of the high quality of London’s tap
water, the contribution of bottled water to
climate change, and the benefits of drinking
water to health and wellbeing. He will also
encourage restaurants, bars and hotels across
London to serve tap water to customers.
3.51 In 2004, over 1.7 billion litres of bottled
water were sold in the UK. While this
accounts for a very small proportion of
total water use, because of the transport
and packaging involved, bottled water has
a much higher carbon footprint per litre
than water supplied via the tap – more than
300 times the carbon dioxide emissions per
litre in the case of some imported brands.
Further information on the environmental
impact of bottled versus tap water is given
in report The Environmental Impact of Food
Consumption and Production prepared for
Defra in 2006 59 .
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