At Pollution Probe, we believe that making it easier for Canadians to refill their water bottles can do more than reduce single-use plastics. It can also help build healthier, more accessible and more climate-resilient communities.
Our new study examining public water bottle refill infrastructure across Canada found a clear public appetite for refillable drinking water, along with significant opportunities to improve the infrastructure that supports it.
Make refill stations easier to find
Our research suggests that the biggest challenge is not a lack of public willingness to use refill stations, but whether they are convenient, visible, trusted and accessible when people need them.
While many respondents knew where some refill stations were located, a significant proportion did not know where to find them. Municipalities can help by improving signage, wayfinding and online resources—including maps showing station locations.
Making existing infrastructure easier to find is a practical step that can encourage greater use.
Bring refill stations outdoors
We heard consistently from respondents that parks, playgrounds, trails, waterfronts and other outdoor public spaces should be priorities for additional refill stations. People visit these locations frequently, yet reported that they do not often use refill stations there—suggesting that infrastructure is not always available, visible or easy to find.
We also recognize the challenges municipalities face. Outdoor stations can be more expensive to install, vulnerable to vandalism and weather-related damage, and more resource-intensive to maintain.
That is why we see value in pilot projects and temporary solutions, such as hydrant-attached units. These approaches can help municipalities test locations, understand demand and determine where permanent infrastructure can have the greatest impact.
Build confidence in public drinking water
Overall concern about municipal tap water quality was relatively low, but our research identified important differences among audiences. Low- and medium-income respondents were more likely than high-income respondents to express concerns about water quality. Newcomers to Canada were also more likely than non-newcomers to identify water quality as a barrier to using refill stations.
Municipalities told us that water quality and taste are also recurring concerns among residents. Understanding these differences can help municipalities develop more targeted communications and build confidence in public drinking water.
Turning opportunity into action
Our research makes one thing clear: Canadians are ready to refill. Now we need to make it easier for them to do so.
We are calling for greater collaboration among all orders of government, community organizations and other partners to improve access to public water refill infrastructure. One of our key recommendations is the creation of a National Resource Communication Hub to bring together resources, tools and practical approaches that can help communities expand and better use refill infrastructure.
This is an opportunity to tackle two challenges at once: reducing single-use plastic waste and strengthening community resilience in a changing climate.
We invite municipalities, federal and provincial governments and community partners to work with us to map what exists, identify what is missing, test innovative approaches and share what works. Together, we can make safe, reliable drinking water easier to find, easier to access and available when Canadians need it most.