Lewisham Borough Council

Lewisham Borough Council and MIW

In July 2018, MIW Water Cooler Experts worked with Lewisham Borough Council as part of the #OneLess Project, installing two free-to-use public water bottle refill stations in the borough. Pleased with the success of the initial water bottle fillers, in spring 2019 the council contacted MIW to arrange two further installations with a view to potentially installing more in the future. The aim being to reduce the amount of waste plastic bottles produced in the parks of Lewisham. And to improve the health of the local population with the provision of free drinking water.

The Brief

With two #OneLess Bottle water coolers already in situ in Ladywell Fields and Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham Borough Council had a good idea of what they were looking for from MIW. The brief entailed:

• The provision of advice upon the best equipment to answer the council’s needs, the siting of the water drinking fountains, and logistics.
• Outdoor water drinking fountains would be required. The council were happy with the Halsey Taylor bottle fillers installed for the #OneLess Project and wanted to maintain a similar performance and aesthetic. But hoped for additional functionality, allowing for more users to access the equipment at a time.
• The water dispensers would need to be wheelchair accessible, WRAS approved and customisable.
• Throughout the project, the MIW team would be required to work closely with Lewisham Borough Council’s Project Management Team, and would need to adhere to a pre-agreed installation schedule.
• Post-installation, the council would require MIW Water Cooler Experts to manage the upkeep and servicing of the new bottle fillers.

The Process

The two mains water dispensers installed in Lewisham in 2018 were Halsey Taylor Endura II 4400BF pedestal bottle filling stations. Sleek, with a small footprint, but with a rugged durable build, they provided almost everything that the council were looking for in 2019. But understanding that additional service capacity would be beneficial, for this project MIW recommended the next model up – the Halsey Taylor 4420BF1U.

The Halsey Taylor 4420BF1U provides all of the features of the other Endura II bottle fillers – outdoor rated, vandal resistance, GreenSpec listing, low maintenance and easy to use. But with the addition of a drinking fountain alongside the bottle filler. This allows users who aren’t carrying a bottle to access fresh drinking water on the go. While the design makes the drinking water fountain accessible to people of all physical abilities, including wheelchair users.

The council also selected one Halsey Taylor 4420BF1UDB, which is identical to the 4420BF1U, with the exception of an additional dog drinking fountain being built into the design.

These units can also be customised in a range of colours and could be finished with the council’s logo.

As well as recommending suitable equipment, MIW worked with Lewisham council to help identify the best places to site the units within the council’s chosen locations of Manor Park and Luxmore Gardens.

The Completed Project

MIW Water Cooler Experts completed the second set of Lewisham Borough Council water bottle filler installations in April 2019. MIW sourced and customised the equipment with bespoke branding, bottle counters and additional frost protection, enabling the installations to take place on time and within budget, with no unexpected complications.

MIW has since installed a further two customised Halsey Taylor 4420BF1U Endura II outdoor bottle filling station for Lewisham Borough Council in 2020. These units are located in Blythe Hill Fields and Fordham Park, areas with a focus on sustainability.

Responsible for all ongoing equipment maintenance, sanitation and upgrades when required, MIW Water Cooler Experts continues to work with Lewisham Borough Council on a turnkey rental agreement.