West Lothian's First Top Up Tap Launches In Linlithgow

West Lothian’s first water refill tap has been unveiled in historic Linlithgow.

The new tap will enable people to top up refillable water bottles and stay hydrated when out and about.

Local MSP Fiona Hyslop officially switched on the tap in the town’s Cross area just down from Linlithgow Palace.

The hi-tech tap, which digitally tracks water usage and records cost savings, is part of a nationwide campaign by Scottish Water which aims to get more people to carry a reusable bottle.

The Your Water Your Life also encourages people to drink tap water throughout the day to stay hydrated. It also highlights how drinking tap water saves money and protects the planet by not having to use disposable plastic bottles.

Ms Hyslop, also Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, said:

“It is great to launch the first ever Scottish Water top up tap in West Lothian.

“Drinking water regularly is good for your health and the top up tap will help the environment by reducing the consumption of single-use plastic bottles and save you money.

“I welcome Scottish Water’s initiative and I hope that all those who live, work and visit Linlithgow get the benefit of using the tap.”

Scott Fraser, Regional Communities Manager at Scottish Water, said:

“We want all of our customers to love their tap water – and to help us care for the environment that makes it available for us to use.

“This new refill tap brings the supply of clear, fresh and great-tasting drinking water right to the heart of the Linlithgow for people who live in and visit this beautiful, historic town.

“We are urging people to get into the habit of carrying a refill bottle and filling it with Scotland’s world class drinking water.”

This is the 24^th top up tap installed by Scottish Water. It aims to deliver 70 public space water refill points across Scotland by next spring.

Additional safety and cleaning measures have been put in place on all the refill taps as a result of the ongoing Covid pandemic. This includes additional deep-cleaning, disinfecting and maintenance.