Dornoch Primary pupils join Scottish Water in unveiling Sutherland’s first Top Up Tap
Scottish Water unveiled its first Top Up Tap in Sutherland this week, providing locals and visitors in Dornoch with a free and accessible point to refill their reusable water bottles.
Pupils from Dornoch Primary School and representatives from the new Dornoch MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) helped to officially launch the facility, which is situated at the town’s south car and coach car park on Shore Road.
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It joins a growing network of more than 120 taps across the country which have been installed by the publicly owned utility company, aimed at supporting personal health and well-being, and reducing reliance on single-use plastic bottles.
The taps are also fitted with smart technology that monitors usage and sends alerts if any issues are detected.
Local Scottish Water network service operator Simon Custerson said: “We are delighted to launch our first Sutherland Top Up Tap this week in Dornoch and hope it will be well used by both the local community and the many visitors the town attracts.
“The location is perfect for those arriving in the town on coach trips, as well as people making use of the fantastic MUGA facility, and it is just a very short distance from the town centre.”
Luke Watson is Chair of the Dornoch Area Community Interest Company which led the development of the town’s South Car & Coach Car Park and MUGA facility - a recreational space for locals and visitors to take part in a variety of sports.
He said: "The addition of a Scottish Water Top Up Tap to our Dornoch South site is perfect. With the new Dornoch MUGA in the same area it will definitely be used by our pickleball, tennis and basketball players, as well as other members of the community and the many visitors we get to our beautiful town."
Local councillor Jim McGillivray added: “I very much welcome this initiative by Scottish Water, and hope it is a precursor to other Sutherland communities benefitting from similar facilities.
“The Dornoch South Car Park is an ideal location as it is an increasingly busy part of the town, and placing the Top Up Tap in this area confirms the vision of DACIC Board over a number of years in developing in a positive way what was a dilapidated brown field site.”
Since the introduction of the first Top Up Tap at the Scottish Parliament in 2018, communities across Scotland have embraced the convenience and environmental benefits of refilling reusable bottles, with the equivalent of more than 10 million bottles dispensed by the network.
Find out more about the campaign and where to find your nearest Top Up Tap at yourwateryourlife.co.uk
