'It's a basic service': Hundreds sign petition urging F&B outlets to provide free water
They want restaurants already imposing a 10 per cent service charge to offer what they consider a "basic necessity" at no extra cost.
The petition on Change.org, which started in May 24, comes despite earlier concerns from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) about water wastage and the additional costs such a move could impose on businesses.
Petition creator Yee Yucai, a consultant at Singapore General Hospital's Internal Medicine department, told AsiaOne on Thursday (June 19) he observed how food and beverage outlets seem to be "encouraging" diners to buy drinks to "boost profit margins" - even though the Government has been urging Singaporeans to cut down on sugar in their diets.
Dr Yee said: "The last straw that broke the camel's back for me was when I recently brought my family to an expensive buffet, about $60 per person.
"And they had the audacity not to serve water and instead requiring us to pay an extra $5 for free-flow beverages. I thought it was going too far."
According to the 2022 National Nutrition Survey, Singapore adults consume an average of 56g of sugar daily, with over half came from sweetened beverages.
F&B outlets incur costs in providing table water
The suggestion of water being made for free at eateries have been brought up in Parliament on both sides of the political aisle.
In 2021, Member of Parliament Christopher de Souza made the case since Singapore's tap water is safe to drink.
He questioned then "whether table water can be mandatorily made free-of-charge at F&B establishments".
And during MSE's Budget debate in March, Workers' Party MP Gerald Giam urged the ministry to work with eateries, coffee shops and shopping malls to provide free or low-cost drinking water as a best practice.
But Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu argued there is no basis to mandate that F&B establishments serve tap water free-of-charge under the Environmental Public Health Act.
"While Singapore's water is safe to drink straight from the tap, it is not free as food and beverage (F&B) establishments have to pay for the water," she said.
"They also incur cost in providing table water such as cost of washing the glasses and containers and in serving the water."
Additional costs to eateries 'very minimal': Dr Yee
On this, Dr Yee said that he was not aware that the free water suggestion had been raised in Parliament as early as 2021.
"I was a bit disappointed to find that it was sort of dismissed," said the 39-year-old.
Dr Yee understands the concerns raised by the ministry and businesses, but added that the additional costs are "very minimal".
He referred to the cost of portable water for non-domestic use in Singapore, which according to the Public Utilities Board, is at $3.24 per cubic metre.
"If each customer drinks two cups at about 400 ml of tap water, the cost comes up to just 0.13 cents per person," he said. "This is negligible when compared to water used for cooking, washing, and other operational needs.
"I feel something like this [eateries providing free water] is considered a necessity, a basic service."
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chingshijie@asiaone.com
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