Water refill point comes to Yeovil

Local people and visitors to Yeovil can now top up with tap water for free, thanks to a new Wessex Water refill point.

To coincide with UK Nutrition and Hydration Week (14 to 20 March), the water company has switched on its new tap water station in Middle Street. It will be cleaned, maintained and inspected regularly to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and water quality.

Wessex Water is working with councils and businesses across its supply region to install refill units in public spaces, encouraging people to drink more tap water and avoid single-use plastic bottles.

Kirsty Scarlett, Wessex Water’s head of community engagement, said: “Yeovil’s water refill point has been installed in a great location to keep residents and visitors hydrated.

“This is just one of the many water refill points we’re installing across the region as part of our mission to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles we all use.

“We are pleased to be able to work with so many local communities which share the same aim of promoting refill over landfill.”

South Somerset District Council portfolio holder for environment Councillor Sarah Dyke added: “On average each person in the UK uses around 150 plastic water bottles every year – that’s more than three a week, many of which are discarded and end up polluting our countryside, rivers and seas – so it’s really important to encourage behaviour change and promote the use of water refill points.

“Plastic is mostly made using fossil fuel oil, so reducing the use of plastic reduces our fossil fuel use and our carbon footprint. If just one in 10 of us refilled just once a week, it could save around 340 million plastic bottles a year.

“We’re delighted to be teaming up with Wessex Water to install a water refill point in Yeovil, which will be a convenient way for residents and visitors to make the switch from single-use plastic water bottles to reusable ones that can be refilled again and again.”

For more information and locations of other refill points in the Wessex Water region visit wessexwater.co.uk/refill.