Thirsty? Ever visited a restaurant that wanted you to pay for your tap water?

Tap water service in Singapore generally falls into the following three categories.

Those restaurants that serve tap water free of charge (though some only do so upon request); those that charge for tap water (typically at least $0.30 per glass); and those that do not serve tap water at all. Instead, the last group of restaurants typically sells bottled drinking water.

Providing Tap Water is costly for the restaurants

One of the main excuses for tap water charges is that it is “costly” for restaurateurs to do so. Tap water costs money, washing up glasses costs money, and the wages of service staff are expensive, they claim.

Well, according to my calculation, [quip float="pqright"] tap water in Singapore costs $0.0004 per 200ml, the washing up probably costs $0.005 per glass (if top quality detergent is used), and labour costs are covered under the 10% service charge imposed by most restaurants. This makes the net marginal cost of a glass of tap water to be approximately $0.005.[/quip]

If I am right (and this is difficult because I am dealing with more zeroes than an investment banker here – albeit with a decimal point), then restaurants which charge $0.50 for a glass of tap water are making an extremely healthy profit margin of 99%. This is enough to make even the most extortionate oil companies – with a profit margin of 24% – go green with envy.

Reasons for serving free tap water

Since the marginal cost is so low, why not serve tap water for free?

In fact, there are many good reasons to do so. I'll just give you three main reasons -  health, service and environment.

#1 Health –Singapore is a hot country. We consume spicy foods. We sweat a lot. We need to consume a lot of water in order to stay hydrated. By charging for plain water, restaurants are effectively nudging customers to consume more sugary or alcoholic drinks, since these drinks now appear to be a less costly alternative to plain water.

However, drinks such as coffee, tea, or soft drinks are diuretics which do not effectively hydrate our bodies. Some of these drinks are also harmful to health, contributing to dental health problems, obesity, diabetes, and other illnesses.

If alcohol is being served, it is dangerous for customers to be denied access to plain water. Plain water moderates excessive drinking and its effects.  This is the reason why the United Kingdom rolled out a legislation in 2010 which makes it an offence for alcohol retailers to not serve customers who ask for free tap water.

#2 Service – By not serving free tap water, Singapore restaurants are further lagging behind their international peers in terms of service standards. In Paris, Tokyo, London, and New York City, restaurants already serve free tap water upon request.

#3 Environmental – Restaurants which push customers to buy bottled drinking water are not being eco-friendly. It is understandable for restaurants in countries without portable tap water to serve bottled water.

But tap water in Singapore is clean, safe to drink, and even contains fluoride which is good for one’s teeth. Consuming more bottled water means wasting finite plastic resources and emitting more carbon dioxide, which are harmful for the environment.

And finally...

Restaurants are not afraid to deny customers free tap water because they want to make greater profits. The costs of doing so are diffused across many patrons, while the benefits are concentrated on the restaurant owner.

In Singapore, where tipping is not expected, and where a service charge is largely mandatory, the customer is largely powerless against such unacceptable behaviour.

It is time  to remind the restaurateurs why it is also costly not to serve you free tap water.

Top Photo from PUB Facebook Page.

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