Belgium’s national rail operator SNCB announced last week a green initiative to provide free drinking water in its stations.
By the end of 2024, passengers across the country will be able to fill water bottles at fountains in 100 stations, meaning 80% of rail passengers in Belgium will be able to take advantage of the free drinking water while helping to cut plastic waste and pollution.
🚰 De l’eau potable gratuite dans les gares #SNCB : depuis aujourd’hui, 6 gares sont équipées d’une fontaine à eau. Objectif fin 2024: 100 gares dans tout le pays. A terme, 80 % de nos voyageurs auront accès à de l’eau potable et filtrée. pic.twitter.com/bMUVwoqPCz
— SNCB (@SNCB) November 24, 2023
The service is already in place in six stations: Bruges, Brussels-Luxembourg, Courtrai, Ghent-Sint-Pieters Liège-Guillemins, and Ostend. Coming on tap soon will be Charleroi-Central and Ottignies stations, as well as others.
Controversial?
In a country where the idea of free drinking water causes controversy, SNCB is helping to change the conversation. At the start of school holidays, parents stocking up on heavy plastic bottles full of water is still a frequent sight in supermarkets. Many consumers worry about the health effects of the “hardness” of water in some areas of Belgium, though research shows that hard water is actually good for you.
The environmental benefits of free tap water include reducing plastic waste, transport costs and the carbon footprint of deliveries to the service sector. Pre-pandemic, a grass-roots campaign to raise the profile of restaurants who do offer free tap water was underway, but it lost momentum.
Basic courtesy to customers?
So, across Belgium still, it is difficult to find restaurants and cafes where free tap water is served. Despite customers spending large amounts on expensive meals and perhaps alcoholic beverages, many in the service sector say selling bottled water is essential to their bottom line. When challenged some will say their water is not drinkable, though how they cook and clean under such conditions is inexplicable. They also cannot explain how restaurants in other countries manage to offer free drinking water and stay afloat.
As a result, most restaurants refuse point-blank to serve a free glass of tap water and seem offended by the very idea that they should provide what in most developed economies is considered a basic courtesy.
Sustainable SNCB
By allowing customers to refill water bottles rather than generate additional waste by purchasing drinking water, SNCB is positioning the policy as part of its role and duty as a sustainable means of transport.
“The company plays an important role in reducing the ecological footprint of our country. Those who travel by train produce up to six times less CO2 than by car,” the rail operator said.
What’s more, accessibility has been taken into account. The design of the new water fountains includes a low button and a space to manoevre so that the tap will be operatable by wheelchair users.
