The Embarrassing Undrinkability of... Tap Water

"The fact that almost half of the respondents do not dare to serve tap water to visitors is not based on facts, but says everything about perception. It is time to change that," says Carl Heyrman, general manager of AquaFlanders.

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'So ordinary'. That is the paradox of the blue gold in Belgium. The vast majority of consumers drink it, but almost half of the respondents avoid it when they have guests. Respectively 82% and 46%, according to the most recent perception survey by AquaFlanders, the federation of Flemish water companies.

We see the same reflex in restaurants, where bottled water is preferred because “there is doubt whether customers will appreciate tap water”. However, there are good reasons to choose what is sometimes jokingly called 'Château La Pompe': tap water is strictly controlled, it is environmentally friendly and up to 300 times cheaper than bottled or other packaged water.

'Quite a grand cru'

AquaFlanders is calling for a turnaround and wants tap water in the hospitality industry to become 'the conscious choice at the table'. "Financially, tap water makes perfect sense", emphasises the umbrella organisation of water suppliers. "With an average cost price of 0.7 euro cents per litre, people who switch to tap water easily save hundreds of euros per year." There are hardly any easier ways to "structurally save money, without sacrificing quality or convenience".

The 'water compass' on the website kraanwater.be gives you an idea of the many advantages of this water, which does not involve packaging or trucks. To illustrate: if the customers of an establishment with fifty covers per day had drunk a glass of water from the tap instead of from a bottle last year, the gross saving would have amounted to more than 2,500 euros and more than 4,500 bottles.

“Local, sustainable, cheap and high quality. Tap water is quite a grand cru”, according to Carl Heyrman, of the Flemish water federation. Local is 'the new luxury', the organization continues. “Just as we can be proud of our local beers, cheeses and vegetables, we should also be proud of our tap water culture.

A new luxury?

It is therefore obvious to argue for a 'freshly tapped' water, especially in light of the ecological challenges and the growing demand from customers for water at a more democratic price. But this is a purely theoretical argument that ignores the commercial reality in the hospitality industry", could be the objection of the umbrella organisations of a sector that is already under economic pressure.

The federations of the hotel and restaurant sector are wary of the free water that the European Commission has been advocating for more than seven years. After all, bottled water offers significant profit margins. Not without typically Belgian complications, because the bottles are purchased at a VAT rate of 6%, while the sale of non-alcoholic drinks is subject to 21%.

The De Wever government does not intend to change these taxes, but the federal coalition agreement does provide for a discount on water packaging.

However, companies that offer tap water at an affordable price of around 1.5 euros on average could quickly recoup their investment. In less than 2 days for a tap, and less than a month for a drinking fountain, according to the calculations of Leefmilieu Brussel in one of its information sheets on 'zero waste', depending on whether they are small structures that want to limit their infrastructure and operating costs or institutions with higher consumption that invest in the installation of machines with filtration, bottles and maintenance costs. "Provide clear and attractive communication about the water that you offer. Emphasize the benefits of the water, natural or flavoured, that you have on the menu", the regional government also advises.