A national tapwater refilling network has come to Morden, blueW.org is a mapped database of shops, cafes and public facilities which have drinkable water that can be used to refill a water bottle.

Currently, there are around 27,000 refill facilities in the blueW database, now the Pembina Valley is part of that number with the Access Event Centre, Morden Civic Centre, and Morden Library registered with blueW.

Morden had been approached by Cheryl Pearson Healthy Living Facilitator with Southern Health, with the opportunity to be a part of this initiative.

Being able to have access to water while walking around can make a drastic difference in your health says Morden Recreation Programmer Stephanie Dueck.

"By drinking juices and pops, even juices that seem healthy we're taking in way more sugars than we would from eating a piece of fruit. We have easy access to water in our homes and our places of work, but we often end up wandering around town doing errands and we get thirsty."

Dueck notes that instead of going into a business to buy a sugary drink or feel obligated to make a purchase in order to get some water, businesses which have a blue W sticker in their window will be a place where visitors can come in and grab some water.

BlueW all began when Managing Director Evan Pilkington and his college deciding to have a national brand message and create a system in municipalities where people always have access to clean water.

As a water consultant with municipalities, Pilkington initially came at this idea from a water management perspective but he says he has begun to see blueW as an opportunity to reduce plastic waste.

"It's an everyday way to simply avoid single-use plastics. It's a very simple way to proceed, you look you have an option if you have a reusable water bottle then you have a choice, you don't necessarily need to create more waste."

Though there isn't a specific study that has been done or audited, Pilkington says for every person who participates that means one less single-use bottle being used.

Dueck says they are still looking for more partners to be a part of this program, she says for people walking around the communities and need a drink to keep their eyes open for a blue W sticker on a facilities window.