Tamworth Regional Council has joined together with Civiq to upgrade its drinking water amenities with eight Aquafil FlexiFountain drinking fountains and bottle refill stations.
The project aims to discourage the consumption of single-use plastic products by making it easy for residents and visitors to access fresh drinking water within Tamworth and surrounding townships.
Funded by the Council’s Water Reserve, existing older style fountains have been replaced with the Aquafil units, while new units have also been installed in several smaller communities in the Tamworth region.
Council staff contacted Civiq, due to the company’s range of robust, wheelchair-accessible drinking fountains – developed to ensure everyone has access to drinking water.
Civiq recommended the 2100mm-high Aquafil drinking fountain and bottle refill station because of its slim-line design and durable construction for long-lasting performance in outdoor public spaces.
The product features large-scale graphics panels for prominent message display, which the council has used to promote the environmental benefits of refilling your own drink bottle.
Featuring a DDA-compliant drinking fountain basin and two anti-bacterial bottle refill nozzles, a sub-surface dog drinking bowl is also configured and filled from excess water, meaning that unused water is recycled and pets are also kept hydrated.
Tamworth Regional Council sustainability officer, Ian Lobban, commented on the new drinking water fountains facilities.
“It’s a great sustainability initiative because it encourages residents and visitors to reduce single-use drink bottle use.”
It is also good for community well-being in providing easy access to a free supply of quality drinking water,” he said.
Eight brand-new Aquafil drinking fountain and bottle refill stations have been installed in Tamworth CBD, Barraba, Manilla, Nundle, and Kootingal.
These drinking water amenities have been met with a positive response from the community, who have already observed cleaner parks and streets from the reduction of plastic bottles.
Local Heart Foundation spokesperson, Penny Milson, said the stations were a step in the right direction.
“Here in Tamworth, we are a hotspot for obesity and we know that replacing sugary drinks with water is a wonderful and effective way to reduce the risk of weight gain,” Penny explains.
“Anything in the environment that supports people to eat well, the Heart Foundation fully supports,” she said.
Tamworth Regional Council are currently in the process of monitoring water usage of other surrounding towns such as Bendemeer and Attunga and may look to provide these areas with water stations in the future.
