Scottish Water and MIW
In early 2018, Scottish Water made a commitment to help combat the problem of waste plastic. With first-hand evidence of the scale of the problem, the organisation began looking for ways to encourage a refill culture across Scotland. Your Water, Your Life – a campaign underpinned by the installation of a series of free-to-use public drinking fountains and bottle refill stations – was launched. As the leading specialist bottle filler supplier in the UK, MIW Water Cooler Experts was called in to execute Scottish Water’s plans.
The Brief
Scottish Water had a very specific set of requirements that they needed MIW to assist with.
- The initial stage was simply to provide advice: ascertain whether selected locations were viable; which drinking units would best serve the organisation’s purpose and be able to withstand the conditions they would face. With a number of units intended for areas known for inclement-bordering-on-harsh weather – such as the Outer Hebrides – Scottish Water needed to know that the equipment would stand the test of time.
- It was essential that all drinking equipment supplied by MIW met the strict water authority guidelines provided by the Scottish Water Technical Division.
- The equipment that MIW would supply to Scottish Water also needed to be branded with the organisation’s bespoke livery and messaging. It had to be supplied within a fixed time scale, working to an installation timetable developed in collaboration with Scottish Water’s Project Management Team.
- Finally, post installation, MIW would be required to deliver a full aftersales service, including unit maintenance, problem solving and monitoring.
The Process
Scottish Water decided on 35 locations throughout Scotland in which to install the Your Water, Your Life bottle filling stations. The MIW team worked to assess and source the appropriate equipment, ensure that it could be prepared and installed in a timely manner and that it would be able to meet all of Scottish Water’s requirements.
Specialists in WRAS-approved (Water Regulation Advisory Scheme) bottle fillers and drinking fountains, MIW had no difficulty ensuring that the required stringent technical standards were adhered to. MIW Recommended a series of Elkay & Halsey Taylor bottle refill stations to complete the project.
During the project installation period, MIW worked closely with several Scottish Water project managers. The team need to completely understand the extreme weather conditions that the units would face, and the logistics involved delivering & service support for the bottle fillers in relatively remote locations. Throughout the project, the MIW team were able to suggest improvements and equipment upgrades which would negate the potential for future unit failure and damage.
Throughout this process, MIW Water Cooler Experts also worked closely with the Scottish Water Media & Communications team to ensure maximum publicity was achieved for every installation.
The Completed Project
MIW successfully completed the supply of 35 outdoor bottle filling stations for Scottish Water. Each unit was branded with the organisation’s bespoke livery and, Scottish Water adapted to feature tracking devices to monitor each fillers use. The units were delivered to diverse locations throughout Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Ayer, Shetlands, Stornoway and the Outer Hebrides.
MIW’s work on Scottish Water’s Your Water, Your Life campaign with was successfully completed ahead of time and on budget. MIW continues to offer support to all 35 bottle filler installations providing Scottish Water with information, advice and assistance wherever required.
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