Gloucester is making a bid to the Department for Communities and Local Government “alcohol fund” for two grants of £45,000 over two years.

It comes after Butlers bar, in Eastgate Street, reported violent incidents had fallen by 78 per cent since November when a water cooler was installed.

Owner Justin Hudson said: “With the water cooler, I must admit I wasn’t sure anyone would use it, but I’ve been astounded by the difference that it’s made.”

The bid is being submitted to the city council.

Leader Paul James (Con, Longlevens) said: “Anything which can help to improve the night-time environment and reduce disorder is to be welcomed, and if it has been successful at Butler’s then it makes sense to extend it.”

Robert Kingston, co-ordinator of the Street Pastor scheme, which puts volunteers on the streets to keep an eye on revellers, said: “Water is something we give out to people because we know dehydration can affect the way people behave, and anything which replaces glass has got to be good for safety.”

Water coolers are extremely helpful in providing free, vital hydration and the success of the experiment in Butler’s bar has proven just how useful water coolers can be. The Water Cooler Company hopes that more bars adopt this strategy of installing water coolers as an alternative to alcoholic beverages, in an effort to beat the challenge of binge drinking. Our company offers customers a stylish range of water coolers that would compliment any bar, office or home.

After complaints from the public regarding the advertisement, the ASA ruled that people would understand the word ‘nutritious’ to be a claim that the drink contained ingredients that were needed to stay healthy, not that it would contain so much sugar. They decided the ad was misleading and that it shouldn’t appear in its current form again.

Such drinks often suggest that they are what customers need to maintain good health – yet the vitamins and minerals contained in these drinks are found in fruit and vegetables, without the downside of such high levels of added sugar. In fact, in some cases, drinks that label themselves as fruity spring water, or flavoured water, contain nearly as much sugar as the fizzy alternatives. Drench, which advertises itself as ‘juicy spring water’, contains up to 40.48g sugar per 440ml bottle – over eight teaspoons.

Whilst the occasional treat won’t do much damage, it is always best to stick to fresh, unflavoured water where possible. It is all the hydration without the harmful additives. And The Water Cooler Company offers a wide range of water coolers to suit your home or office, which will provide you with freshly filtered, chilled water with no unwanted extras!

For more than 100 years, OASIS International has innovated, engineered, manufactured and distributed some of the world’s best clean drinking water solutions. OASIS is the recognised worldwide leader of bottled and pressure water coolers, and provide point-of-use filtration equipment, drinking fountains, dehumidifiers, sinks and water pitcher systems to homes, offices, schools, businesses, hospitals and municipal buildings. Furthermore, OASIS delivers water-friendly solutions to more than 80 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. They are known by a wide range of brand names, including Aqua Pointe®, Versacooler®, Freshshield and Green Filter®. Today, their goal is the same as it has always been: to provide clean, refreshing drinking water to the planet that is free from harmful bacteria, viruses, sediments, metals and chemicals.

Here at The Water Cooler Company, being environmentally conscious is just as important to us, which is why our customers will find a huge selection of OASIS International’s top quality products on offer, and we hope to see continued innovation and pioneering designs that work in harmony with the environment from OASIS.

A team working for services company DHL refused to start their shift at the plant yesterday morning after discovering that the water coolers in their section were empty. They left the job and sat in the canteen until supplies were replenished. DHL spokesman Simon Maris told the ECHO shortly after the incident: “Due to the recent warm weather, the drinking water in the water coolers in one area of the plant ran out this morning, ahead of the usual delivery at lunchtime.

“We contacted the supplier and brought forward the delivery by two hours to replenish the water supply to operators.”

He added: “The operators sat in the canteen for half an hour while this happened and returned to work once the water supply was restored.”

JLR declined to comment, on the grounds that the problem was with DHL and not with their operations. The company also insisted that the DHL team’s actions had no effect on vehicle production within the plant.

Whilst some have criticised the workers’ actions as extreme, The Water Cooler Company feel they show how important access to fresh drinking water is to people, and their actions highlight how vital is that this access is upheld at all times.

Introduced in 2011, GE’s ZCore depth cartridge filters offer improved performance, less downtime and reduced operating costs. These benefits are important for extreme filtering applications since traditional cartridge filters are typically not effective, the company said.

Such extreme applications include hot-​water sanitising, high-​temperature process chemical streams, high-​viscosity fluids, high-​purity environments and very dirty streams where significant pressure drops can develop. The ZCore technology is likely to benefit industrial customers including those in the food and beverage, microelectronics and other industrial sectors including power generation, chemical processing and hydrocarbon processing as well as wastewater remediation.

Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems-​water and process technologies for GE Power & Water, said: “We are excited to have the opportunity to showcase GE’s advanced water filtration and processing solutions that are playing an important role in helping manufacturers increase the quality of their products while simultaneously reducing the impact on limited water resources.”

The Philips InstantTrust is a very compact UV system of water purification, allowing it to be used in smaller, residential systems and bringing the most state-of-the-art technology into our homes. The solution works instantly to produce safe water, reducing any waiting time. Philips claims the new product is unique due to its ability to work independently of water temperature, and because it can be used with hot and cold water systems. Oasis will be showing the new technology, which will be available via its Kalix and Versafiller water cooler models, at the WQA Aquatech show in Las Vegas at the start of March.

There will surely be a buzz around this launch which brings together two very trusted brands in water purification and water cooler manufacturing. The technology is neat, compact and uses clever technology to ensure the cleanest water possible. The Water Cooler Company has a long-established working relationship with OASIS and we are excited to see where the demand for these new products will take the industry as a whole.

In particular, UNISON points to the choice between water coolers, meaning employers can opt for a water cooler most suitable to them. Mains-fed water coolers are a good option where there are no staff trained to lift and replace bottles. As UNISON points out, this avoids any members of staff risking injury by lifting bottles improperly, and means that health and safety guidelines about access to water can be upheld without jeopardizing employee safety in any other way. However, having access to any drinking water is the most important thing, and thus bottled water coolers can be a great alternative where mains-fed water coolers are not practical.

The Water Cooler Company promotes sufficient access to water in the workplace, and UNISON’s campaign is a sign that this is an issue important not just to our company, but across the nation.

Growth has proved a challenge for the water cooler industry. However, Anderton points to significant gains in Eastern Europe, as well as increased demand from the US, as opportunities for the water cooler industry to continue developing.

He says that there can be growth opportunities for both the bottled water and mains-fed water cooler systems, with mains-fed water coolers showing particular growth across the European market, especially as the system of choice for larger organisations.

The Water Cooler Company has a well-established relationship with EDWCA, and we are excited about the positive and optimistic predictions James Anderton has made about the future of mains-fed water coolers and about the water cooler industry as a whole.

The economic challenges posed in the current climate are one of the biggest difficulties the water cooler industry is up against.

“With the backdrop of economic instability, the industry is faced with eroding revenue streams, increasing costs and less opportunity to balance the deficit with fresh business prospects,” says Anderton.

He tells how other factors, including exchange rates outside the Eurozone and ever-rising fuel prices have further exacerbated this situation.

“In an unregulated environment, this would have led to a drop in service standards,” he warns. “Therefore, it’s imperative from an association perspective that members consistently meet or exceed the standards and the annual audit.”

He states that the association maintains survival as its key driver, but asserts the importance of ensuring “commercial decisions cannot be allowed to impact on quality, safety or agreed standards.”

He also explains that there is an increasing need for organisations to develop a “clear and robust retention strategy”, focusing their efforts on retaining existing, usually more profitable, accounts, rather than seeking new opportunities for growth.

“The priority here is exemplary service balanced with good value, rather than lowest price, cheapest service option.”

“To enable this, it’s imperative that we position the industry in the service sector rather than as commodity provider, as this approach will enable good service to consistently retain business over lower priced competition. The EDWCA can help reinforce this by promoting the importance of selecting a credible supplier from a progressive association.

The second part of this interview will follow next week

The Water Cooler Company is pleased to introduce the new Apex water cooler to it’s range.The stainless steel body of this water cooler makes it easy to keep clean.

The common problem people have with a water cooler is when filling bottles or jugs the dispense area is not large enough to accommodate them.No such problem with the Apex as its dispense area is 21cm.

This cooler is available in either Cold and Ambient or Hot and cold models. During February we are offering the cooler at a price of £199+Vat instead of the usual price of £249+Vat.

Please contact us on 08455004455 or email contact@thewatercoolercompany.com for details