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Issue - meetings

Water Refill Scheme

Meeting: 11/02/2020 - Communities, Housing and Environment Committee (Item 94)

94 Water Re-fill Scheme pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Minutes:

The Water Refill Scheme report was introduced to the committee following a Member request for further information at the previous meeting on 14 January 2020. 

 

The Head of Environment and Public Realm highlighted the following points:

 

  • The request was for £15k for three units, subject to the required exploratory and procurement exercises, as part of the Waste Strategy 2018-2023 as agreed by the Committee;

 

  • Each unit would cost approximately £3k, with an annual maintenance cost of approx. £120 on a three- or five-year agreement;

 

  • Free installation of the units may occur, dependent on continued correspondence with South East Water;

 

  • An estimated £4k would be used for marketing the scheme;

 

  • Purchase of the re-fill units was relevant given the increased awareness of environmental concerns within society and the movement against single use plastics; and

 

  • Installation of the units would coincide with the 18 businesses in Maidstone that have already signed up to refill plastic bottles upon request.

 

It was confirmed that the units have an expected lifespan of eight years, after which they can be refurbished and that maintenance packages were only available for three to five years at a time. The funding for this would come from the spare capacity within the recycling budget.

 

The Committee expressed interest in how the success of the scheme would be measured, with Officers stating that water meters would be installed at each unit and that businesses would be contacted to consult on how often they were asked to refill bottles. It was requested that the Committee be updated on the progress of the scheme.

 

RESOLVED: That;

 

1. The Committee agrees the investment of £15k allocated from the Capital Programme for the installation of three water refill stations, two in the Town Centre and one at Mote Park; and

 

2. The Committee agrees that the Council should sign up to and promote the existing Refill Scheme to offer free tap water to visitors.