South West Water

South West Water & MIW

South West Water is responsible for delivering high quality drinking water and waste water services throughout Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset. Furthering the organisation’s commitment to sustainability, in 2018, South West Water began looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of temporary events held within its catchment area. As Refill.org, UK’s official water fountain partner, the South West Water Project Management Team contacted MIW Water Cooler Experts to discuss potential solutions.

The Brief

Although similar in many respects, this project came with a notably different brief to those provided by the other water authorities – Scottish Water, Thames Water, Guernsey Water, Yorkshire Water – that MIW has worked with. The requirement was for:

• The provision of industry knowledge, guidance upon the best available equipment for the job, logistics and technical support.
• The equipment would need to be fully mobile and able to be used as ‘pop-up’ water refill stations. Therefore, it needed to be lightweight yet secure, easy to install, easy to use, hygienic, and waste-free. And because they would be used in many different locations and situations, being frequently moved, the outdoor drinking fountains would need to be extremely hardwearing.
• Although temporary, it was imperative that the water refill stations were CE and WRAS approved, to ensure full compliance with South West Water’s stringent standards.
• Before dispatch, the water refill stations would need to be branded with South West Water’s unique logo and livery.
• Post-delivery, South West Water would require MIW to service and maintain the water refill points as and when required.

The Process

Because of the emphasis on the ability to easily relocate the outdoor drinking fountains, selecting the right equipment for South West Water was a relatively easy matter. In 2018, there were very few quality mobile water dispensers on the market. Even fewer with WRAS approval. The Marathon Single Use Hydroboost Bottle Filler answered all requirements. Designed for portability, the build is robust yet lightweight. With in-built filter and anti-bacterial dispensing nozzles, the outdoor bottle fillers are hygienic and safe to use. While a box-ready ‘plug and play’ connection means that the refill stations can be easily installed wherever South West Water requires them to be – open days, sporting events, or festivals. The unit also has an in-built counter to record the number of bottles refilled.

Once the selected water dispensers had been approved by South West Water, MIW’s expert team hand-finished each outdoor bottle filler according to direction from the organisation’s Project Management Team. It was important that every dispenser looked the same, so the team worked to very fine tolerances to ensure continuity.

The Completed Project

Working to an agreed deadline and budget, the MIW team sourced, customised and delivered a number of the mobile outdoor bottle fillers to South West Water. They have proved an invaluable sustainability resource.

Since the completion of this project, MIW has installed two further fixed bottle fillers in the South West Water catchment areas of Polzeath and Bude – incidentally, the original home of the Refill movement. These outdoor drinking fountains are permanently placed, beach-facing fixtures. The Elkay EZH2O Outdoor Bottle Filler was selected for these locations, being made from marine grade stainless steel, and thus impervious to the damp, salty atmosphere. Vandal resistant, WRAS approved, GreenSpec listed and wheelchair accessible, the units are easy to use and very low maintenance. Each of these outdoor bottle fillers are completed with an E-coat immersion covering to prevent any corrosion or rusting, as standard. Prior to installation, the MIW team also added livery and messaging by hand, using an extremely high-quality outdoor paint and protective lacquer.