Ostrava, 30 August 2018.  The SmVaK’s Tap Inspector (this year, a young lady who will start her university studies soon) closed these holidays in Karviná, Bohumín and their surroundings.  The Tap Inspector has awarded another twelve businesses that are ready to offer drinking water from water taps to their customers. In addition to the sticker We serve the tap water, the businesses were given a jug and glasses for serving the top-quality water.

The project was launched by SmVaK Ostrava in the summer 2015. Every year the inspectors organised field visits in summer holidays in order to monitor changes. This year, the inspectors have visited approximately 90 businesses.

“In past years, 70 businesses in the Moravian-Silesian Region were willing to join the project. This year, another 50 businesses have been involved which is regarded as a positive message.  If compared with past years, it is clear now that serving of tap water has becoming more and more popular.  We are approaching the advances countries. To put it simply, there have been fewer negative responses and fewer rejections with the owners or operator saying they do not want the tap water being served to their customers. What is also perceived positively is our inspectors who do not just monitor the situation - they talk to waiters and provide the businesses with glasses to be used when serving the tap water, which is also a generous step", says Anatol Pšenička, Managing Director of SmVaK Ostrava.

The key to the project is personal visits and talking to the owners. SmVaK Ostrava understands that it is not required to serve the tap water for free because certain work and involvement of the staff is needed in order to prepare and serve the tap water. On top of this, water, being the most valuable raw material, has its value. That is why the award does not require free serving of the tap water.
For the sake of comparison: In the region where SmVaK Ostrava operates, customers pay CZK 0.08 for one litre of tap water, while one-third litre of non-sparking water in a bottle is sold at about CZK 30 in restaurants.
“We believe that the argument that tap water decreases sales of restaurants is not correct. When I want to enjoy a cake and coffee in a cake shop, I will not drink water instead. And if me and my friends want to drink beer or wine, we will not place an order for a jug of water with mint, This is rather a customer-friendly approach and extension of services, not elimination of services”, says Pšenička.

The Tap Inspectors have visited this year mostly towns in the regions of Frýdek-Místek, Havířov, Hlučín, Odry, Bohumín and Karviná, SmVaK Ostrava is going to continue and develop this project.

Contact:

Mgr. Marek Síbrt, spokesperson

Severomoravské vodovody a kanalizace Ostrava a.s.

28. října 1235/169, Mariánské Hory, 709 00 Ostrava.

phone 725 500 509
e-mail marek.sibrt@smvak.cz
www.smvak.cz

Businesses involved in the SmVaK’s Tap Inspector project in 2018