Hairyloon Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I thought the law said that Licenced Establishments had to provide free tap water, by law? I thought that also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckymurphy Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 some eateries realise that if people are unsuspecting or stupid enough to use their establishment they will pay almost any price for anything. they say:-if you like what we do - tell others. if you dont- tell us. we tend to do this the other way round. the answer is simply - dont go again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlfc Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 We had had two meals which cost us £29.00 so i think it is not unreasonable to expect to get free tap water. That's what I'd expect. If you went in a pub and just ordered tap water then you should be charged but in the context of a meal I think it should be free. Most places wouldn't charge so vote with your feet is my recommendation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairyloon Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 the answer is simply - dont go again! No, the answer to an unlawful action is to report it to the appropriate authority. ---------- Post added 12-08-2014 at 10:46 ---------- http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/860/schedule/paragraph/3/made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckymurphy Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 really!? the authorities should then spend £1,000's of mine and other taxpayers money investigating this complaint over a £1 charge for a glass of water? i have a solution. send me £20,000 in cash. i will then refund the OP's £1 and advise the eatery that they should state the charge is for overheads not the water.if the tightarse, sorry, customer does not wish to pay, they should offer to fill the customers cupped hands with the water. i understand how the eatery will lose money (value of the water, labour costs of staff turning tap on and off and being kept from other duties, maintenance of the pipework etc) the customer should perhaps consider a trip to a supermarket for a ready meal and a bottle of water next time. WHAT'S THAT I HEAR??? THE SUPERMARKET IS CHARGING FOR WATER!!!!!????? TUT, TUT! NOW THERE'S A SITUATION! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairyloon Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 really!? the authorities should then spend £1,000's of mine and other taxpayers money investigating this complaint... Why should it cost anything like that? Even Sheffield City council are not that inefficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecypriot1 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 We went to Rising Sun Abbey Lane and could not believe it when we were charged for tap water. they used to give a jug of water with ice cubes but this was straight out of the tap and it being a hot day warm. When we got home and looked at our receipt we saw they had charged us for the water £1.00. good its about time licensed premisis stood up for themselves ! charging for tap water is perfectly acceptable how do you think the business makes money?? oh and before anyone says it, tap water is not "free", the supply is charged , glasses need to be washed and the water is served by staff so no its not free. also some have said licensed premises have to offer free tap water? that is correct but only as an accompniment to alcohol being served. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouserat Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Saying that licensed premises should "stand up for themselves" or defending their right to make a profit is a bit like saying that car drivers should stand up for themselves and shouldn't need to have a driving licence just to drive. You may disagree with the requirement, but it is a legal requirement, like it or not. Licensed establishments have to, by law, make potable tap water available for free if tap water is readily available to them, a situation clarified in the 2003 Licensing Act. From the government's guidance on the licensing act:- "The responsible person...[i.e. landlord] must ensure that free potable tap water is provided on request to customers where it is reasonably available on the premises." https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228955/9781849873499.pdf Now perhaps you have to buy something to be a customer, but in this case, the OP spent a significant amount on food. If pubs are being forced into insolvency by meeting the legal requirement of providing free tap water (and I'm not ignoring the very many financial constraints that pubs do face, and the large numbers being forced into closure - I just don't think the odd glass of tap water is the cause), perhaps they could consider renting out bar stools or selling toilet paper by the sheet behind the bar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecypriot1 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Saying that licensed premises should "stand up for themselves" or defending their right to make a profit is a bit like saying that car drivers should stand up for themselves and shouldn't need to have a driving licence just to drive. You may disagree with the requirement, but it is a legal requirement, like it or not. Licensed establishments have to, by law, make potable tap water available for free if tap water is readily available to them, a situation clarified in the 2003 Licensing Act. From the government's guidance on the licensing act:- "The responsible person...[i.e. landlord] must ensure that free potable tap water is provided on request to customers where it is reasonably available on the premises." https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228955/9781849873499.pdf Now perhaps you have to buy something to be a customer, but in this case, the OP spent a significant amount on food. If pubs are being forced into insolvency by meeting the legal requirement of providing free tap water (and I'm not ignoring the very many financial constraints that pubs do face, and the large numbers being forced into closure - I just don't think the odd glass of tap water is the cause), perhaps they could consider renting out bar stools or selling toilet paper by the sheet behind the bar? if you read what i said? yes tap water is to be freeley available but not as an alternative to alcohol, i.e so someone can sit in an establishment all night drinking tap water for free, the tap water must be available to drinkers not just anyone! its up to theDPS to decide who can or cant havefree tap water, i for one would never give it or offer it to some tightwad that never intends to buy a drink.....and there are plenty of those:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouserat Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Yes, I did read what you said. There is no requirement that I can find that a person must buy alcohol in order to ask for tap water. A person must be a "customer" - they might buy a bag of crisps, a coffee, a half of diet coke - they'd still be a customer. Pubs in this country aren't packed out with people sipping glasses of tap water all evening. Maybe one or two designated drivers in a group are - but perhaps the others wouldn't be drinking at all if the drivers weren't there. And as for restaurants / other licensed premises, why should people have to drink to eat? thecypriot1, you write as though you own or run a licensed establishment. Perhaps you're having trouble selling drinks because you insult your customers - calling them tightwads on a public forum doesn't seem like great business sense. And because you seem to see working in the service industry as a battle between you and your customers, who you have to "stand up" to. I don't see how it's up to the premises supervisor to decide who can have water. If a person is a customer - that is, they've bought something - water should be freely available. Should the premises supervisor take a similar approach to drug control - doesn't matter what the law says, I'll decide which illegal drugs are OK? If it's a legal requirement, the only decision to be made is "Are they a customer?" ie "Have they spent any money here?". I spend a lot of money in licensed establishments. I occasionally ask for tap water. I usually ask for tap water with a meal - sometimes with another drink, sometimes not. If a premises tries to charge me, I would consider reporting it. And I certainly wouldn't be going back or taking my friends back. Not serving me that free tap water is going to lose you a lot more money in the long run than a the cost of a glass and a couple of seconds' service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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