Inveraray primary pupils ‘tap’ of the class
People in Inveraray will be able to quench their thirst on the move thanks to a new Top Up Tap from Scottish Water.
Following an interesting talk from Scottish Water representatives at the school, Inveraray Primary School’s Eco Committee braved the rain for the unveiling of the new tap at the Avenue Arches.
Young eco-warriors helped promote the benefits of staying hydrated on the go at the launch of Scottish Water's new refill tap in Inveraray.
Inveraray Primary School's Eco Committee was joined by Councillor Dougie Philand and Inveraray Jail's warder Robert Irons to be the first to try out the new blue tap at the royal burgh's Avenue arches, following the official opening by the Duke of Argyll.
The state-of-the-art Top-up Tap, the 20th to be installed across Scotland so far, will allow people to top up their water bottles with free, great-tasting water. The number of such taps is expected to rise to 70 over the next 18 months.
It is part of Scottish Water's Your Water Your Life campaign which encourages more people to carry a refillable bottle with them and drink tap water on the go to stay hydrated, save money and help protect the environment by reducing waste.
James Helbert, head teacher of Inveraray Primary School, said: ‘Inveraray Primary School has a long tradition of learning for sustainability and have been awarded numerous Green Flags by Eco Schools Scotland.
‘Every year pupils and staff choose a global issue for learning and action. This year we are looking at water. We were delighted to attend the opening of our Top-up Tap as we believe it will play a significant role in helping residents and visitors better understand the importance of staying hydrated and believe it will encourage people to re-use bottles instead of continually purchasing a new plastic bottle.'
Since the first tap was launched in Edinburgh in October 2018, more than 55,000 litres of water has been drunk from Scottish Water's expanding collection of Topup Taps – the equivalent of more than 167,000 standard 330ml single-use plastic bottles.