24 July, 2019

A new blue fixture is making a splash in Conadilly Street.

Gunnedah Youth Council members identified a need for a water refill station in the main street – and went beyond the standard bubbler to come up with a water cooler that even caters for thirsty furry friends.

Gunnedah Youth Council secured $1000 through a Pitch It competition at the 2017 NSW Youth Councils Conference to turn this idea into a reality.

The youth council put together a video to pitch their idea to install a fixed water refill station in the CBD area to encourage the community to drink more water and help reduce plastic waste.

The water refill station features a bubbler, a place to refill water bottles, and an area designed to be pressed on to fill up with water for pets.

The water station was installed close to the crossing at Bitter Suite Café by local plumbing and civil contractor PJ Hickman Plumbing, who completed the works assisted by funding from the Drought Communities Program.

Some interesting facts about water:

• Staying hydrated is essential for good health
• Only 1 in 5 plastic bottles are recycled
• Currently, one million plastic bottles are sold every minute worldwide
• Over 40% of plastic bottles end up as landfill or litter
• Drinking water throughout the day improves concentration
• The average price of 1 litre of bottled water is the same as 9000 glasses from your tap
• Around 70% of your body is water
• A plastic bottle takes more than 1000 years to break down.

Photo Caption: St Mary’s student Jesse Dick with the new water refill station.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.