YAHOO POLL: Should F&B outlets serve free tap water?
A petition calling on the Government to mandate free tap water at food and beverage (F&B) outlets that already impose a 10 per cent service charge has gained traction, with over 2,000 signatures as of 20 June.
Launched on Change.org by Dr Yee Yucai, a consultant at Singapore General Hospital's Internal Medicine department, the petition argues that water is a basic necessity. Dr Yee told AsiaOne that the petition came about he observed how food and beverage outlets seem to be "encouraging" diners to buy drinks to "boost profit margins".
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This is not the first time the issue has surfaced, though. Members of Parliament from both sides of the aisle, have previously urged the Government to explore making free table water standard practice.
In 2021, Christopher de Souza questioned "whether table water can be mandatorily made free-of-charge at F&B establishments" since Singapore's tap water is safe to drink.
During the 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.
However, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu has pushed back, stating that while Singapore's tap water is safe, providing it still incurs costs, and thus cannot be mandated under the Environmental Public Health Act.
So, we want to hear from you – should F&B outlets serve free tap water?
Related:
Singapore water price to increase by 50 cents per cubic m over next 2 years
How Singapore forged a world-class food scene over 60 years – from hawker markets to Michelin stars
Home-based food businesses stir debate among restaurant owners
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Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates. A petition calling on the Government to mandate free tap water at food and beverage (F&B) outlets that already impose a 10 per cent service charge has gained traction. There are over 2,000 signatures as of 20 June. Launched on by Dr Yee Yucai, a consultant at Singapore General Hospital's Internal Medicine department, the petition argues that water is a "basic necessity". Dr Yee told AsiaOne that the petition came about he observed how food and beverage outlets seem to be "encouraging" diners to buy drinks to "boost profit margins". 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." This is not the first time the issue has surfaced, though. 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The IMDA cited concerns that the revised script undermined Singapore's anti-drug policies and public trust in the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The show, titled Homepar, was initially approved under an R18 rating, but IMDA said the final script submitted on 5 June contained substantial changes from the original version cleared on 21 April. They said, "The new material depicts and glamorises drug abuse and portrays an undercover CNB officer shielding abusers from detection." In a statement on Friday (June 20), IMDA said the new material was found to be in breach of the Arts Entertainment Classification Code (AECC). This was done in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs. For more on the banned Wild Rice performance, read here. A woman is suing Singapore Airlines after she suffered a severe allergic reaction mid-flight, allegedly caused by a meal containing shrimp that was mistakenly served to her despite advance warnings. 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The Ministry of Defence said in an earlier statement that the man was hit by a bullet slug at about 11.40am. The police said NUH alerted them at 11.55pm of the gunshot wound. In his initial interview with police investigators, L denied being anywhere near the restricted areas when he was injured. He only admitted to it the next day. W has privatised his Strava and Garmin accounts after the morning of 19 June. The cyclist is under investigation for wilful trespass. For more on the cyclist and the gazetted area, read here. Singapore Pools Toto draw for 19 June saw one lucky ticket take home the Group 1 prize of over $12.3 million. The single winning share amount of over $12.3 million is the third highest recorded by Singapore Pools behind $13.1 million in May 2024 and $13 million in October 2023. The winning numbers for Thursday's draw (19 June) are 1, 10, 37, 40, 47 and 45, with the additional number being 19. The winning ticket was bought from an NTUC FairPrice at Yew Tee Point (1 QuickPick System 7 Entry). For more on the Group 2 winning tickets, read here. Two Singaporean men were arrested in Thailand on 17 June, along with a Thai national, for their alleged roles in running a transnational vice syndicate, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Wednesday (19 June). The Singaporean suspects, aged 36 and 38, and the 50-year-old Thai man, were arrested in a joint cross-border operation between the SPF and the Royal Thai Police (RTP). The operation saw assets worth over 20 million baht (S$790,600) seized, including luxury condos, cash, mobile devices and SIM cards. The SPF also froze over S$1.26 million in suspected criminal proceeds held in a Singapore bank account belonging to the 38-year-old man. According to Thai media outlet Khaosod English, one of the Singaporean suspects was arrested upon arrival at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, while the other arrested at his residence in Thailand. Investigations started in 2023 and revealed that the syndicate allegedly recruited foreign women and deployed them to Singapore as vice workers. From April 2023 to May 2025, at least 76 such women linked to the operation have been arrested, and the SPF said the resulting investigations "established useful information" against the syndicate. Singapore's Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Yeo Yee Chuan said, "The SPF is committed to working closely with our regional partners, and we thank the RTP for their invaluable collaboration in dismantling this criminal network to prevent the exploitation of women, stem the scourge of transnational crimes and take affirmative actions against the laundering of criminal proceeds." For more on the arrests, read here.
