Should tap water be free in Singapore restaurants? F&B operators weigh in

CNA

6 hours ago

The debate about whether tap water should be complimentary in Singapore's dine-in food establishments is back in the spotlight, thanks to a Facebook post on Jun 12 by Workers' Party Member of Parliament Gerald Giam, who also highlighted a public petition on the issue.
'Some eateries charge as much for water as they do for sugary drinks. This unintentionally nudges consumers toward less healthy options, increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes,' he said in his post.
'In March 2025, I called for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) to encourage F&B outlets, coffeeshops and malls to offer low-cost drinking water as best practice.'
Mr Giam added: 'While I acknowledge that F&B establishments incur some cost to provide plain water, these can be recovered by offering plain water at cost. Importantly, it should be priced lower than sugary beverages to support healthier choices and sustainability goals. I continue to urge MSE to promote this as best practice across dine-in establishments.'
The petition he cited, which was posted on Change.org in late May, urged the Singapore government to 'mandate that dine-in F&B establishments provide free-flow tap water to all customers at no additional cost.'
'In a country where tap water is clean, safe, and abundantly available, it is unjustified to restrict access to tap water, especially in establishments that already impose a 10% service charge,' the petition read.
THE PRICE OF FREE TAP WATER
Several restaurateurs CNA Lifestyle spoke to said that while they used to charge for tap water, they stopped long before the petition, mainly due to customer complaints. Among them is nasi lemak restaurant The Coconut Club. Chef-owner Daniel Sia said: 'It's more important that customers are happy.'
Similarly, chain restaurants such as Swensen's and French bakery-cafe Paul said they've offered free tap water since opening. 'We believe in offering a welcoming and thoughtful experience, and providing complimentary drinking water is part of that,' said Paul's chief executive officer, Asia Pacific, David Yang.
A spokesperson for Swensen's, a pioneer partner of the Health Promotion Board's Healthier Dining Programme, said: 'Serving tap water aligns with our ongoing commitment to support healthier choices for our guests."
Still, while tap water is abundantly available in Singapore, it does come at a cost to restaurants. 'Utilities cost money and (when you offer free tap water), it often translates to reduced beverage sales, so it's an opportunity cost at the end of the day,' Sia explained.
Yang pointed out that 'the cost, though not insignificant, is relatively minimal compared to the goodwill it generates'.
While that may be the case for larger chain establishments like Paul and Swensen's, it is a harder pill to swallow for smaller, independent restaurants.
'On a good month, eateries like ours make about 10 to 20 per cent profit,' said the sole owner of a neighbourhood cafe who declined to be named. 'More often than not, we make a lot less, especially in this current economic climate. So we charge 50 cents for free-flow of tap water because every cent counts.'
The cost, though not insignificant, is relatively minimal compared to the goodwill it generates.
FILTERING THE COST
Other restaurant owners who charge for tap water also requested anonymity for fear of public backlash.
'Business is already so bad, we don't want people to take this against us,' said the owner of a Korean restaurant. 'The restaurant business is tough. Our profit margin is small. In what other industry would making 10 to 20 per cent profit on a good month count as good business? But that's the norm for restaurants. Bigger restaurant groups may be able to absorb the cost, but utilities are just one of many overheads for small businesses like ours.'
Another restaurateur pointed out that almost no establishments price tap water on par with soft drinks. 'No one in the right mind goes into business to antagonise the customer. Everyone knows the cost of tap water, so who's going to sell tap water in their restaurant for S$3 to S$4, which is the price of a soft drink in many restaurants?'
Upscale restaurants that charge for water typically serve water pumped from a filtration system at S$3 per person, free-flow.
For them, the concern is more about flavour than cost. Operations manager of Angie's Oyster Bar & Grill said: 'We understand some diners prefer water with their meal instead of wine or beer. However, tap water can negatively alter the delicate taste of live oysters. To ensure a pleasant dining experience, we serve unlimited premium Nordaq water. However, we do not want to profit from water sales. We decided that with water sales, 80 per cent of the proceeds will go towards The Helping Hand charity, supporting a good cause.'
Ronald Kamiyama, managing partner and sommelier of The Cicheti Group, echoed similar sentiments. 'At our restaurants, we serve filtered water that uses a charcoal system that's not only sustainable, but part of what we pay also supports jobs for women in Sumatra who plant trees in the region.'
Water filtration systems cost anywhere from S$1,000 to S$3,000 a month. 'When you factor in wear and tear, which at restaurants oscillate around S$50 to S$200 a month, plus human hours, plus a series of minor costs that aren't accounted for… it works out to a good amount of money,' said the chef-owner of a fine dining restaurant that does not charge for water. 'We absorb the cost in our menu pricing.'