Exeter needs better hydration, according to councillors who are pressing the city to install more public water stations.
Green councillors are bringing a motion to the full council when it meets next week (September 8) calling for public water stations to be provided at council-owned city centre sites ahead of summer 2027.
The Guildhall Shopping Centre is one of the locations being suggested.
The summer of 2026 in Devon was exceptionally hot and record-breakingly dry, culminating in a severe, officially declared drought by August.
Exeter Airport logged 21 consecutive ‘heatwave’ days in July where temperatures continuously peaked at or above 25 degrees. By late August, river flows across Devon had dropped to ‘exceptionally low’ levels and at Trews Weir on the River Exe the Environment Agency recorded the lowest flows ever recorded.
The councillors also point out that seven billion plastic water bottles are sold each year, and only around half of them are recycled.
Cllr Helen Terry (Green, Heavitree), who has proposed the motion, said: “The recent heatwaves have shown how important it is that we ensure people keep hydrated and well.
“Public water stations are a simple and cost-effective solution to provide clean water without having to purchase single-use plastic bottles or asking a business for help.
“Access to water is a basic human right, and it would also help make our city more inclusive and welcoming.”
Cllr Terry said finding an alternative to repeatedly buying plastic water bottles could also help with the cost of living, and fellow Green councillor Jack Reed (St Thomas) highlighted the environmental impact of plastic bottles.
“Every 500ml plastic water bottle uses about 125ml of crude oil for the process of making the bottle and the energy used to produce it,” he explained.
“Across the UK, 5.5 billion plastic bottles escape household recycling and are landfilled, littered or incinerated instead. They endanger our wildlife, pollute our environment and fuel the climate crisis.
“We hope councillors will show some bottle and support this motion.”
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