A Swansea company which has striven to improve public access to free drinking water has been honoured as International Green World Ambassadors at a special presentation ceremony at the Houses of Parliament, London.
The company HydraChill Ltd, which has developed a unique solution for providing free hydration and reducing waste was also presented with an International Green Apple Environment Award at the same event.
The firm’s customisable HydraChill Water Refilling Stations provide hygienic chilled and filtered drinking water and also uniquely vend optional reusable bottles, generating revenue to help fund free water provision.
Conceived under the “Water for Health” initiative, the HydraChill Water Refilling Station was born of frustration at lack of access to hygienic mains-fed drinking water for on-the-go consumers, according to the judges at the event. At the time of its conception, purchasing bottled water was typically the only option. This inspired them to provide a free and innovative alternative to costly bottled water in high footfall areas. “Not only do disposable plastic bottles raise serious environmental concerns, but UK mains-fed water is of a high quality and is fed by a carbon efficient system utilised imaginatively by this company.”
Two Hydrachill Refilling units at Northumbria University have proved so popular they have broken the one million uses barrier, according to the firm. effectively saving the university a million plastic bottles from litter and landfill in less than five years. Such proven success has led to HydraChill machines being installed at Transport for London’s Hammersmith, Tower and Westminster stations, the first ever free drinking water provision for commuters at major UK transport centres.
Hydrachill’s founding Director, Nick Davis commented. “We are naturally delighted with this recognition but the battle has only begun. Hydrachill has proved conclusively that consumers delight in hygienic access to free mains-fed drinking water outside the home. Build it and they will come. The objective remains to have this hydration provision as the rule rather than the exception in on-the go locations”
HydraChill’s project is to be published in The Green Book, an annual work of reference on environmental best practice, distributed to environment bodies around the world by The Green Organisation.
The HydraChill project also goes forward for further judging and the possibility of representing the UK in the Brussels-led European Business Awards for the Environment.
