“Of course the tap water is free here!” says Jarmila of café Heilig Huisken in Antwerp. “In fact, I give it a lemon and an ice cube.”
That is what Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) would like to hear. Part of the alcohol plan, which the federal and state governments recently approved, is that water must be free in cafes and restaurants that also serve alcohol. The obligation may take effect in 2025.
But in café Heilig Huisken they don’t wait for that. “In other countries, such as France, for example, it is quite normal to offer free water,” says Jarmila, as she gently guides the last café-goers – including your reporter – to the exit. “It is of course not the intention that people come here all evening to drink tap water, but that will not happen anytime soon. I therefore do not expect that we will miss out on a lot of turnover in this way.”
Medical sociologist Guido Van Hal (University of Antwerp) is also in favor of the plan. “Drinking alcohol dehydrates you, but most people think it’s a shame to pay for a glass of water in a café. If that is soon to be free everywhere, hopefully they will opt for it more often.”
In addition to keeping the catering industry visitors hydrated, it may also lead to less alcohol consumption. Van Hal: “Offering free water has a warning function: watch out, don’t drink too much alcohol. It would be interesting to investigate this effect, for example by surveying catering visitors and staff. I don’t expect huge effects, but I would say: if it doesn’t help, it won’t hurt.”
At Horeca Vlaanderen, the representative of Flemish catering entrepreneurs, they think differently. “Unfortunately, there is no such thing as free,” the organization said in a response. “You also have to filter tap water and there is someone who has to operate it. Just imagine that a complete terrace requires something like this. That is simply not possible. That is why we continue to advocate for the preservation of entrepreneurs’ freedom of choice. After all, they know best what their customers want, what fits their business and what is needed to remain profitable.”
“I can imagine that some catering entrepreneurs are less enthusiastic,” says Van Hal. “Ultimately, this is a measure that costs the government nothing. But they can credit every bit of profit in the fight against alcohol abuse.”
Action group
Where they respond enthusiastically to the plan is in the action group ‘Free Tap Water In Belgium’. Since 2018, they have been working for the availability of free tap water.
Their lobbying work has already led to a free filling point at Zaventem airport. They have more than 12,000 followers on Facebook.
“When water is sold, it is almost always bottled water,” says volunteer Morgane Vander Linden. “From an ecological point of view, that is very bad. Just think how absurd it is: water is packaged in bottles and transported here by truck, while it can also simply come from the tap.”
The action group keeps track of which cafes and restaurants already offer free tap water on a map. Although that will be superfluous from 2025. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Vander Linden agrees. “We would prefer to see free tap water everywhere, so not only in cafes and restaurants where alcohol is served, but also in the station or gym, for example. Water is a basic need and in our opinion nothing should be charged for it.”
Jarmila of café het Heilig Huisken agrees wholeheartedly. “If there are children playing in the park in the summer, they can safely get a glass of water here. And if someone has drunk too much, they even have to drink water first, then go home by bike. Yes, I take care of the youth!”
