Telly presenter Gail Porter shows she has the bottle to make a difference

Telly presenter Gail Porter has urged people in her home city to top up from the tap to help look after their health and the planet at the launch of a new refill tap.

Mairi Melvin and her winning poster

Scottish Water has installed the new top up tap in Portobello, not far from where the star grew up and it will let people refill theirr bottles and stay hydrated when out and about.

Gail had hoped to make the launch in person but due to ongoing Covid regulations must has to stay in London where she now lives. The ex-Portobello High School pupils said one of the biggest things she missed abut home was the “lovely water”.

The 49-year-old said “I’m gutted I can’t be at the launch of this new water refill tap. As a very proud Porty lass and a big believer in all of us doing what we can to look after ourselves and our planet I so wanted to be there. These refill taps are a brilliant idea to help reduce plastic waste and make it easier for folk to top up with water, which most of us – including me – know we need to drink more of.

Gail shows her bottle

“I’m sure people who live, work and visit wonderful Portobello will put this refill tap to good use. I can’t wait to try out the tap when I am next home – as I truly miss the taste of Scottish water. In the meantime I have a lovely reusable Scottish Water bottle which reminds me of home and I am now taking out and about on the go with me.”

The tap, situated near the children’s play area on the Promenade, is the third in the Capital.

Local primary children took part in a competition to design a poster promoting the new refill point and urging people to top up from the tap. The winning design was created by 10-year-old Mairi Melvin, a P6 pupil at Towerbank Primary School. Her poster shows surfers out at sea running out of drinking water with the message that tap water is fresh and good for you. It will go on display in Portobello next month.

Mairi said: “I was so surprised, and so happy, to win. I really like art and loved doing the poster. I thought about water and where we are and thought I would add surfers aswell as the message about how tap water is good for the planet and you can get it for free from this new refill tap.”

Mairi won a voucher donated by staff The Beach Café, which is very near the new tap. The café also donated 2nd and 3rd place vouchers to runners up Anabel Watson and Ethan Cole, also P6 pupils

Natalie Walker of Scottish Water said: “Our top up taps are also about building a greater appreciation of our water – Scotland’s most precious natural resource. Many people, like Gail, say they miss Scottish water when they are away and 86 per cent of people describe it as “world class. Making it more accessible with the refill taps makes sense – and we are sure people who live in and visit Porty will agree and top up at the new tap.”

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