\nConveniently placed in the town\u2019s CBD at A.A. McLean Reserve, the \u2018Be Smart Choose Tap\u2019 project was unveiled last week, and it does not just benefit the two-legged human species.
\nThe 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.
\nCentral Highlands Water\u2019s Managing Director, Mr Paul O\u2019Donohue and Moorabool Shire Mayor Cr Paul Tatchell officially opened the new drinking water fountain as \u201cpart of an ongoing program to enhance key public recreational spaces.\u201d
\n\u201cThe 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,\u201d Mr O\u2019Donohue said.
\nCr Tatchell said this is the first of a number of drinking water fountains for Ballan.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re giving the community the option to make a healthier choice,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cEverything old is new again. Water fountains were everywhere back in the day, it was the norm; now, soft drink has taken over.
\n\u201cWe must progress to drinking water from the tap again,\u201d he said.
\nCr Tatchell said, \u201cthings we used to take for granted are now back\u201d.
\n\u201cIf fair dinkum, this is the future. I congratulate Central Highlands Water on this initiative as it also helps with family cost and the environment.\u201d
\nAs 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.
\nSt Brigid\u2019s Primary School students Jack and Leo held a Q&A session and said drinking water \u201ckeeps your body healthy and is better for the environment.\u201d
\n\u201cYou should drink 4-5 glasses of water a day,\u201d Jack said.
\nAnd Jack has become a \u2018swapper\u2019, drinking water over soft drink since last Christmas.
\nMr O\u2019Donohue said in Australia, \u201cwe spend more than $680 million each year on bottled water.\u201d
\n\u201cThe sad reality is that more than 50 per cent of plastic bottles end up in our landfills.\u201d
\nThe Ballan Recreation Reserve in Cowie street is also home to a free CHW drinking fountain.
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Photo – Helen Tatchell<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Helen Tatchell Thirsty? You can now save money, and the environment, with a new free drinking water fountain in Ballan. Conveniently placed in the town\u2019s CBD at A.A. McLean Reserve, the \u2018Be Smart Choose Tap\u2019 project was unveiled last week, and it does not just benefit the two-legged human species. The fountain has a […]<\/p>\n