Visitors to Hobart's waterfront will be able to fill up with free drinking water from public water stations as part of the Good Water Project, a joint initiative of the City of Hobart, Pennicott Foundation, Tasmanian Government and TasWater.
The first water station at Salamanca Plaza is now open to the public, with the rest popping up between Salamanca and Hunter Street over the coming weeks.
The Good Water Project encourages people to BYO bottles and refill rather than purchase single use plastic bottles.
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the project was inspired by a discussion with Robert Pennicott about working together on zero waste initiatives and has grown from there.
She thanked Pennicott Foundation, Brand Tasmania and TasWater for their financial contributions and being such important project partners.
"This is a significant step towards the City of Hobart's aim to achieve zero waste for Hobart landfill by 2030," Cr Reynolds said.
"It takes three litres of water and a cup of oil to produce one plastic water bottle.
"Most of these petrochemical products are then filled with treated water that has been found to have more impurities than Tasmanian water which originates from kunanyi/Mt Wellington and Mt Field – and does not stack up on taste.
"If users don't toss them away, polluting waterways and special places around the world, the empty bottles end up in landfill.
"In Tasmania, 43 per cent of litter is beverage containers. Far too few of them are recycled, yet even this is an expensive and dirty process.
"Australians buy about 15 billion plastic water bottles per year. It feels normal. Yet we did not begin doing it until the 1990s."
Robert Pennicott, Managing Director Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, initiated the project with the City of Hobart.
"I feel strongly about addressing the negative impacts of plastics in oceans," Mr Pennicott (pictured) said.
"And our natural water can be drunk directly from its source, unlike many other places in the world.
"It was an obvious thing to do and I am delighted to work with Local and State Government to bring the project to fruition."
The $160,000 initiative is jointly funded by City of Hobart, Pennicott Foundation, Tasmanian Government and TasWater with support from The20.
