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The Straits Times reported that Singapore was ranked first globally in terms of volume of bottled water consumed (S’pore is top bottled water consumer, spender per capita: UN think-tank report, March 23). This is an environmental crime.
Some major perpetrators are the restaurants that refuse to serve tap water, unlike restaurants in the past, but insist instead that customers buy bottled water, typically in plastic bottles.
My wife and I had tea on Thursday at a restaurant in Orchard Road. When I asked for water, the waiter, and later his supervisor, told me they did not serve tap water. Instead, I was asked to buy bottled water, shipped from Italy, priced at $5. I declined, not because of the price but on principle.
This was not the only example of such behaviour. A few months ago, my wife, son and granddaughter had lunch at a restaurant at Jewel Changi Airport. When my wife asked for a cup of warm water for the toddler, the manager refused. He insisted that they buy bottled water for the child.
The tap water in Singapore is perfectly drinkable. We spend billions to ensure that this is so.
In Japan and England, we were served tap water without even asking for it. There is no reason why it cannot be done here.
To justify their behaviour, restaurateurs come up with all kinds of excuses. We were told on Thursday that if they served us tap water, they would have to do it for everyone. But that is precisely what should be happening. We were also told that it was the building management’s policy; even if true, this is merely deflecting blame.
Some say that they cannot provide water, but any restaurant with washing-up facilities has a tap. Among the worst offenders are those that filter tap water through an electricity-guzzling machine, bottle it and charge a hefty price, pretending that it is environmentally friendly. This is just price-gouging.
In their quest to squeeze the last drop of profit from customers, these restaurants are damaging the environment. For the sake of future generations, this irresponsible, short-sighted profit-at-all-costs attitude must stop. While I would prefer that they do so voluntarily, regulations should be put in place if needed.
Walter Woon Cheong Ming (Professor)
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-time-to-end-no-free-water-policy-of-restaurants
Some major perpetrators are the restaurants that refuse to serve tap water, unlike restaurants in the past, but insist instead that customers buy bottled water, typically in plastic bottles.
My wife and I had tea on Thursday at a restaurant in Orchard Road. When I asked for water, the waiter, and later his supervisor, told me they did not serve tap water. Instead, I was asked to buy bottled water, shipped from Italy, priced at $5. I declined, not because of the price but on principle.
This was not the only example of such behaviour. A few months ago, my wife, son and granddaughter had lunch at a restaurant at Jewel Changi Airport. When my wife asked for a cup of warm water for the toddler, the manager refused. He insisted that they buy bottled water for the child.
The tap water in Singapore is perfectly drinkable. We spend billions to ensure that this is so.
In Japan and England, we were served tap water without even asking for it. There is no reason why it cannot be done here.
To justify their behaviour, restaurateurs come up with all kinds of excuses. We were told on Thursday that if they served us tap water, they would have to do it for everyone. But that is precisely what should be happening. We were also told that it was the building management’s policy; even if true, this is merely deflecting blame.
Some say that they cannot provide water, but any restaurant with washing-up facilities has a tap. Among the worst offenders are those that filter tap water through an electricity-guzzling machine, bottle it and charge a hefty price, pretending that it is environmentally friendly. This is just price-gouging.
In their quest to squeeze the last drop of profit from customers, these restaurants are damaging the environment. For the sake of future generations, this irresponsible, short-sighted profit-at-all-costs attitude must stop. While I would prefer that they do so voluntarily, regulations should be put in place if needed.
Walter Woon Cheong Ming (Professor)
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-time-to-end-no-free-water-policy-of-restaurants
