Second Refill Point for Salisbury City Council and Wessex Water

A short while ago we told the story of Wessex Water, Salisbury City Council and Rosie Price – a remarkable 11-year-old girl who took matters into her own hands to bring the refill revolution to her hometown. Rosie’s campaigning led to a collaboration between the two other parties and a project to bring free public drinking water to Salisbury. A bottle filler – supplied by MIW Water Cooler Experts – was duly installed in Salisbury’s Market Square. Rosie and her dad, Dominic, were the first to use the new bottle filler, which seemed the perfect conclusion to a pleasing story. But the project did not stop there. Inspired by Rosie’s passion for the refill cause, Wessex Water and Salisbury City Council developed plans of their own. And now the fruits of that collaboration are beginning to be seen.

Salisbury’s second refill station

Following Rosie’s original campaign, Salisbury City Council and Wessex Water committed to installing a series of new refill points across the city and surrounding areas. And at the end of 2019, a second public bottle filler found a home outside the entrance of the Old George Mall, on Salisbury’s High Street. As with the previous installation, the Halsey Taylor 4400BF was selected for the job.

Halsey Taylor 4400BF – Endura II Tubular Outdoor Bottle Filling Station

WRAS-approved and outdoor rated, the Endura II is perfect for any external public-facing environment. Designed for vandal-resistance, the heavy-gauge stainless steel body is highly durable, while the push-button mechanism is both extremely easy to use and leaves little room for tampering. The E-coat powder finish adds an extra layer of protection to the unit, while helping to keep it looking clean, fresh and appealing.

Finally, an inline strainer ensures that the highest quality of water is always delivered. Although there are many different outdoor bottle fillers and drinking fountains available, the Endura II remains among the most popular for its performance and its aesthetically pleasing slim-line design. It’s already proving a hit with Salisbury’s locals.

An ongoing collaboration

With the two new bottle fillers in Salisbury, the Salisbury City Council and Wessex Water initiative is off to an incredible start. But there is still more to come. And Wessex Water have additional plans to boot, stretching across South West England.

Catherine Page, Wessex Water’s Community Engagement Coordinator, explains: ‘We are thankful that Rosie, and other young people like her, are so committed to helping the environment and looking after our planet. We’re playing our part by encouraging communities to drink more tap water and avoid using single-use plastic bottles, and we’re working with councils and businesses across our supply region to install more refill units in public spaces.’

This is a wonderful story in so many ways. For the person who inspired it. Because if we can get young people to initiate change, then that change will become the expected. Then the norm. For the rolling impact that it is having. Because change can only happen if there is infrastructure to support it. And organisations such as Wessex Water and Salisbury City Council are putting that infrastructure in place. And, of course, for the continuing environmental impact of such schemes. Which is really what this is all about.