Hydration stations – Water3 has popped up to provide a sustainable drinking water alternative
Whether you’re a water-bottle diehard or guilty of buying a bit too much pre-packaged H2O, one of the biggest hurdles we face when trying to ethically stay hydrated is access to water that’s actually drinkable. We live in an imperfect world where questionable park bubblers or suspicious-looking taps are our only real options when it comes to refilling our water bottles when we’re out and about. That is, they were our only options – enter Water3, a brand-new player in the responsible hydration game. This social enterprise has popped up with a clean and convenient solution to our bottled water addiction, providing both spring water and reusable bottles at water refill stations around Southeast Queensland.
It’s no secret that plastic bottles are doing some serious damage to the environment, and us Queenslanders are some of the worst offenders with a paltry 44-percent recycling rate. The brains behind Water3 thought it was time to do something about our serious abuse of plastic. After a trip to Vietnam in 2011 and witnessing the devastating effect that single-use plastic water bottles have on the environment, co-founder Damien Stone was inspired to both educate the masses and eradicate the root cause. Joining forces with Leicester Chatfield, the pair used their combined experience in business and start-ups to forge a solution that could be rolled out globally over a number of years. Their creation was Water3 – a refill station dispensing both natural spring water and reusable bottles in case you don’t have your own handy – and it’s already landed in Australia.
When it comes to the refill process, Water3 makes it as easy as possible by keeping things streamlined. The refill stations provide chilled spring water (still or sparkling) as well as 500 ml stainless-steel bottles, so you’re covered even if you don’t have your own bottle on you at the time. Payment is all digital, with customers given the option of using a debit/credit card, tap-and-go technology or via the RFID (radio frequency identification) that is built in to the lid of the Water3 bottles. As an added bonus, if you spend the $10 for one of the reusable bottles, your first refill is free as part of the purchase. To sweeten the deal further, you will receive $2 credit if you register your Water3 bottle on the app or website.
Want to sip on spring water and save the planet at the same time? You can find your nearest Water3 refill station plus loads of additional information on the official website.
