Legal - Which places have to provide free water?

Nexy

Nexy

Nexy

Soldato
Joined
26 Jul 2003
Posts
3,598
Location
South Wales
What places legally have to serve you tap/drinking water for free?

Supposedly
The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 said:
"Tap water fit for drinking must be provided free of charge on request.""
Click to expand...

Anything similar in Wales and England? What about cinemas or restaurant? Whatabout live music venues? I vaguely remember something someone told me about not being able to refuse someone in your home? I've googled a bit but not found anything really good resources on this. :(
 
I always thought licensed premises in the UK had to provide free tap water, but try as I might I couldn't find the non-Scottish version of it.

After giving up on lexis-nexis, some googling later I found this:

Does a restaurant have to provide tap water?

A restaurant doesn't have to provide tap water to the public. They will have tap water on the premises to prepare and wash food.

There are some Night Clubs however, which used to have a condition on their licence that drinking water be freely available (to prevent dancers suffering from dehydration perhaps by drug misuse)
Click to expand...
link

So the answer appears to be, no, they don't have to.
 
i said to a barman in a club once, can i have a glass of tap water because i'm feeling dehydrated and i might be sick if i dont have one. ( no drug use, just noticed the above post :p)

he said they couldnt serve tap water for some reason, i stood there and said give me a glass of tap water.. he refused. at this point i got dizzy, held onto the bar and proceeded to vomit all over it.

i got kicked out, luckily i only lived over the road literally, but the guy behind the bar got a nice coating of my sick :D
 
SidewinderINC said:
i said to a barman in a club once, can i have a glass of tap water because i'm feeling dehydrated and i might be sick if i dont have one. ( no drug use, just noticed the above post :p)

he said they couldnt serve tap water for some reason, i stood there and said give me a glass of tap water.. he refused. at this point i got dizzy, held onto the bar and proceeded to vomit all over it.

i got kicked out, luckily i only lived over the road literally, but the guy behind the bar got a nice coating of my sick :D
Click to expand...

moral of the story: walk over the road instead of arguing and humiliating yourself in a public place ;]
 
Morba said:
moral of the story: walk over the road instead of arguing and humiliating yourself in a public place ;]
Click to expand...

nah, i wasnt going to be refused a glass of water by a peon.

i didnt get barred, and nobody seemed to care except for the barman the next week ;)
 
Whent to Tranzmission 2007 at Alexandra Palace in London in April and it was a mission to get water. None of the water fountains worked so you had to get a ticket for a bottle of water which cost about £2 a ticket :eek: . This was followed by an enormous line of people waiting to get served for water.

A lot of people collapsed that night due to extreme heat and lack of water :(
 
apparently the club last night had "ran out of water"

weird because the taps in the bogs are still working

they seem to do it every week ( refuse ya tap water) at about an hour before closing
 
andy said:
apparently the club last night had "ran out of water"

weird because the taps in the bogs are still working

they seem to do it every week ( refuse ya tap water) at about an hour before closing
Click to expand...

report them :]
 
fini said:
Err no they don't. Proof?
Click to expand...

I'm a licencee and it IS the law.

Restraunts are exempt from this rule, but pubs/bars/clubs MUST provide water for free where alcohol is being served.

If this is not followed, one of the 4 licencing objectives are broken.

1. The prevention of crime and disorder
2. Public safety
3. Prevention of public nuisance, and
4. The protection of children from harm
 
Last edited:
fini said:
Err no they don't. Proof?
Click to expand...


You appear to be right :o, I've and I'm sure many others have always been told they must.

Pez said:
I'm a licencee and it IS the law.

Restraunts are exempt from this rule, but pubs/bars/clubs MUST provide water for free where alcohol is being served.

If this is not followed, one of the 4 licensing objectives are broken.
Click to expand...
Is it in the licensing act? A google doesn't bring anything up, other than they don't.
 
AcidHell2 said:
You appear to be right :o, I've and I'm sure many others have always been told they must.


Is it in the licensing act? A google doesn't bring anything up, other than they don't.
Click to expand...

Yep.

I cant find a conclusive online resource, but I'm sure of got some paperwork kicking around with it on, I'll try and get it scanned up :)
 
Pez said:
Yep.

I cant find a conclusive online resource, but I'm sure of got some paperwork kicking around with it on, I'll try and get it scanned up :)
Click to expand...

It is quite possible that it's a local licence condition, rather than an instrinsic part of the licencing rules. Especially given the lack of online references available. All national laws are online in various places, many local laws, guidelines and conditions are not.
 
Theres a chinese buffet restaurant in watford called 'Flame' which I am naming and shaming. They will not serve tap water, and its £2.50 per bottle there. I'll buy a drink, but some water on the side is nice! Also if your over 1 meter 40 cm adult prices apply, so pritty much everyone pays full price! (the sign is hidden behind the door as you walk in) how messed up is that! :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom