5 reasons why the hospitality sector is switching to POU water dispensers

Hotels, restaurants, and cafés are switching from pre-filled bottled water to Point of Use (POU) water dispensers primarily to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.

But making the switch doesn’t just lower annual costs and contribute to sustainability objectives. By installing a Borg & Overström water dispenser, a business can also eliminate transport logistics, reclaim valuable space, and elevate the customer experience.

1. Lower annual costs

Bottled water is charged for by the unit and therefore litre, whereas water dispensers are charged per appliance. So, the more drinking water you use per year, the more significant the savings you could make by switching.

For example, let’s assume that each 500ml bottle of sparkling water costs £1. That’s £2 per litre. Let’s then assume that your business uses 20 litres per day. That’s 5200 litres per year at the cost of £10,400.

A Borg & Overström C2 costs £2,050* per year to rent, including installation and servicing. You will also need to buy reusable glass bottles for serving water in, and replacement CO2 canisters at £1171.50 per year.

Therefore, the total cost per year to rent a water dispenser is £3221.50, a 69 percent saving on bottled water. Since a POU water dispenser is plumbed into the mains water, your premises has an unlimited supply of fresh filtered water.

2. Eliminate transport logistics

With a constant supply of quality drinking water, there’s no need to order packaged plastic or glass water bottles, eliminating transportation logistics.

Borg & Overström water dispensers are also very low maintenance, so you won’t be replacing one headache with another. Once installed, your distributor will manage the service and maintenance schedule for you. Routine cleaning of your appliance can be added to your staff’s usual routine.

That’s it – no deliveries to schedule or supply chain disruption to manage.

3. A sustainable alternative to pre-filled bottled water

Furthermore, by eliminating the transportation of bottled water, you will reduce your carbon footprint. If you’re switching from single-use plastic bottles, you will also significantly reduce your plastic usage.

Modern water dispensers use advanced technology, making them energy-efficient, reliable, and longer-lasting. Borg & Overström’s tap systems have the following sustainability credentials.

• Packaged in sustainable, recyclable cardboard, no plastic.
• Powered by Dry Chill^®, our most energy-efficient chilling system.
• Fitted with new eco-friendly gases.
• Low-energy LED UV water purification system.
• Eco-mode available on digital models.
• Manufactured in the UK using components from nearshore suppliers.
• Production plant powered by renewable energy sources.
• HQ is 100 per cent landfill-free.

4. Free up space back of house

Imagine what you can do with all the space you free up with no full or empty bottles to store. There’s also no need to chill your water since a dispenser delivers fresh, filtered, chilled water on demand.

The C2 is a high-capacity dispenser delivering 80 litres per hour at a consistent chilled temperature. It takes just 19 seconds to fill a 1 litre bottle. It also has a tall dispense area enabling fast and convenient refilling of bottles, jugs, and carafes.

5. Elevate the customer experience

Whether to charge for water or offer it to customers for free is up to you. But should you charge for it, a top-end dispenser will deliver drinking water equal to or more superior than the top bottled water brands.

Our water dispensers and tap systems are built with innovative filtration and cooling technologies. This includes our proprietary carbonation system, Deep Sparkle^®, producing longer-lasting sparkling water.

Serve your drinking water in reusable, dishwasher safe glass bottles to keep your water fresh. Add your own brand or Borg & Overström’s to complete the dining experience.

Back of house is not the only place where you can make an impact with customers. Our T2 self-serve tap system has high-end aesthetics and digital controls, with touch-free options, to suit any hospitality premises.

With more people ditching single-use bottles in favour of reusable ones, providing free refills demonstrates your commitment to sustainability and customers’ well-being.

Discover the full range of Borg & Overström tap systems, or contact our customer service team to discuss switching your water services.

*rental costs may vary