Simply the Best: Choosing the Best Water Bottle Refill Station for Your Business

Water bottle refill stations are fast becoming the must-have item for all eco-conscious businesses. They’re a great way to provide an additional service to your customers – and staff – while quietly showcasing the fact that your business is environmentally-aware. But, with so many makes and models now available, how do you know which is the best one for you?

The easiest way is to call 01207 572 000 and ask the MIW service team for a bit of advice. But, if you’d like to do some independent research first, here are a few tips to get you started.

• Look for WRAS approval.

When it comes to water provision, WRAS is your safety net. It’s an organisation founded to test all equipment used for the delivery of public drinking water, to ensure that it complies with Government guidelines. You are not legally obliged to purchase WRAS-approved hardware, but if you don’t, you could be in for some nasty surprises, the least of which being the expense of replacing a unit found wanting by your local water authority. Fines can also be levied, and in the worst-case scenario, law suits filed, when a customer is poisoned or drinks a mouthful of paint and loose bolts. The WRAS logo protects you against all of that.

• Location, location.

There are bottle fillers now available for every kind of site – the MIW Marathon even acts as a ‘pop-up’ for short-term events. Whether you’re looking for an indoor or outdoor solution, there are both freestanding and integrated units to choose from, but you do need to select the right model for the right place. The outdoor units can be uniquely durable, with rust-proof, weather-proof coating and a vandal-resistant design. The free-standing units can be positioned practically anywhere with access to a water pipe, while the integrated can be less obtrusive, but obviously need the support of a wall or surface to rest upon. Your best bet is to choose your site, and then pick the model to suit.

• To chill or not to chill.

Offering chilled water is a matter of choice. In indoor workshop, factory or office environments, where temperatures can creep up in summer, a chilled unit is often a good idea. The units do usually require a little more space, but it is possible to place the chiller in an adjacent location in some cases, so solutions can be found for all scenarios. Our service team will be able to suggest some suitable options for your premises.

• Filtered?

If you are based in an area which is blessed with good quality, nice-tasting water, then a filter probably isn’t necessary. A lot of people aren’t though. Filtered units work to remove all of the impurities often found in tap water, including chlorine and class 1 particulates, helping to improve the smell and the taste of the water. Filtered units aren’t significantly more expensive, so they can be a good choice.

• Automatic or manual.

Most water bottle refill stations now work on a hands-free basis. This is partly because it’s more hygienic – although the best units are finished with a silver-ion anti-microbial coating, you still don’t want thousands of grubby hands all over the faucet. And partly because it reduces the chance of the unit being broken/vandalised. If there are no moveable external