Moorabool Shire Council and Central Highlands Water have partnered with Civiq to introduce a brand new permanent public drinking water fountain at McLean Reserve, a key location within the local government area.
Central Highlands Water is a regional water corporation providing drinking water, sewerage, trade waste and recycled water services to customers throughout the central highlands region of Victoria.
“Central Highlands Water has given back to the community over a number of years by partnering with local councils, facilities and sporting clubs to provide Aquafil Water Refill stations and Bubblers.
Through Central Highlands Water’s commitment to the broader Choose Tap campaign- which encourages reducing single use plastic waste, avoidance of fizzy drinks, and staying hydrated and healthy- the public are able to fill up their water bottles for free at numerous locations across Ballan” according to Lise Eagan Bales, Manager of Communication and Engagement at Central Highlands Water.
Central Highlands Water chose to partner with Civiq once again and purchased the Aquafil FlexiFountain 2100BF Drinking Fountain and Bottle Refill Station. The Aquafil 2100BF features two anti-bacterial refill nozzles on each side of the unit with a DDA-compliant wheelchair-accessible design making it accessible for children, the elderly and people with a disability. Another feature of the fountain is the dog drinking bowl which is filled from the excess water from the bottle refill point, allowing pets to stay hydrated.
The 2100mm design means there is plenty of room for the council and water authority to display their promotional messages to the community. Moorabool decided on motivational messages promoting the use of refilling your own reusable water bottle.
Moorabool Shire Council’s Mayor Paul Tatchell commented on the new drinking water station. “As a young lad, I recall drinking from bubblers and then they disappeared, to only be replaced by bottled water and now the cycle is returning to an awareness of tap water being available again for communities”
These water amenities help to promote the use of reusable water bottles and the importance of moving away from single use plastics creating a more sustainable world for future generations.
The Aquafil 2100BF was conveniently placed within the towns CBD at Mclean Reserve and was a ‘Be Smart, Choose Tap’ initiative. This initiative is a part of an ongoing program to enhance key public recreational spaces and was unveiled by Central Highlands Water’s managing director, Mr. Paul O’Donohue and Moorabool Shire Mayor Cr Paul Tatchell.
“The drinking water fountain project is the result of a community partnership between Central Highlands Water and the Moorabool Council to promote healthy living and encourage water as the drink of choice” Mr. O’Donohue remarked.
Cr Tatchell admitted to the drinking fountain’s being the first for Ballan. Cr Tatchell strongly stated “we’re giving the community the option to make a healthier choice, water fountains were everywhere back in the day, it was the norm, now soft drink has taken over, we must progress to drinking tap again.”
The installation of Moorabool Shire Council public drinking water fountain isn’t the only initiative the council is taking to promote healthy lifestyles. As part of the education week 2019 Central Highlands Water will provide the local Ballan and district schools with a range of educational fact sheets and activities highlighting the importance of staying healthy and hydrated through drinking tap water. Installing the drinking fountain is the first step to raising awareness.
The council had two young school boys from St Brigid’s Primary School Jack and Leo engaging with the product and asked them questions about water with both the boys remarking “water keeps your body healthy and is better for the environment”
Mr. O’Donohue revealed “Australians spend more than $680 million each year on bottled water, and more than 50 percent of plastic bottles end up in our landfills”
So Moorabool Shire Council with the support of Central Highlands Water is not only keeping locals hydrated but is playing an imperative role in promoting healthy lifestyles and bringing back old practices ‘Be Smart, Choose Tap’.
Information sourced from Moorabool Shire News.