Healthier choice on tap

Thirsty? You can now save money, and the environment, with a new free drinking water fountain in Ballan.
Conveniently placed in the town’s CBD at A.A. McLean Reserve, the ‘Be Smart Choose Tap’ project was unveiled last week, and it does not just benefit the two-legged human species.
The fountain has a facility to fill up an empty bottle, to have a slurp that is also wheelchair friendly, and the four-legged canines and not left out, with a built-in bowl at ground level.
Central Highlands Water’s Managing Director, Mr Paul O’Donohue and Moorabool Shire Mayor Cr Paul Tatchell officially opened the new drinking water fountain as “part of an ongoing program to enhance key public recreational spaces.”
“The drinking water fountain project is the result of a community partnership between CHW and the Moorabool Council to promote healthy living and encourage water as the drink of choice,” Mr O’Donohue said.
Cr Tatchell said this is the first of a number of drinking water fountains for Ballan.
“We’re giving the community the option to make a healthier choice,” he said.
“Everything old is new again. Water fountains were everywhere back in the day, it was the norm; now, soft drink has taken over.
“We must progress to drinking water from the tap again,” he said.
Cr Tatchell said, “things we used to take for granted are now back”.
“If fair dinkum, this is the future. I congratulate Central Highlands Water on this initiative as it also helps with family cost and the environment.”
As part of Education Week 2019 Central Highlands Water will provide the local Ballan and district schools with a range of educational fact sheets and activities highlighting the importance of staying healthy and hydrated through drinking tap water.
St Brigid’s Primary School students Jack and Leo held a Q&A session and said drinking water “keeps your body healthy and is better for the environment.”
“You should drink 4-5 glasses of water a day,” Jack said.
And Jack has become a ‘swapper’, drinking water over soft drink since last Christmas.
Mr O’Donohue said in Australia, “we spend more than $680 million each year on bottled water.”
“The sad reality is that more than 50 per cent of plastic bottles end up in our landfills.”
The Ballan Recreation Reserve in Cowie street is also home to a free CHW drinking fountain.