Clare County Council’s Healthy Clare initiative, in partnership with Active Ennis complex, launched three water refill stations across the Active Ennis complex as part of Clare Climate Action Week 2025.
Supported by Healthy Ireland, the water refill stations promote the importance of bottle reuse, both for the environment and proper hydration in our daily lives.
The initiative encourages individuals to remove plastic waste from the environment by providing the opportunity to refill used bottles at dedicated water stations, situated inside Ennis leisure facilities and positioned outside in both Tim Smythe Park and Lees Road.
Cllr Paul Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said, “Through initiatives like this we hope to encourage high usage rates of these stations and support local health and wellbeing while reducing reliance on disposable plastic bottles in busy community hubs. The addition of the ‘Hydrate and Refill’ drawing competition in primary schools was an excellent way of getting our young people involved in the conversation around the importance of looking after our own physical wellbeing and our environment.”
The drawing competition was run in collaboration with Creative Clare, Clare County Council Climate Action team, Clare Education Centre and Clare Sports Partnership.
Dara Dever, Clare County Council, Climate Action Office said, “The poster competition entries were very impressive. They showcased a wide variety of ideas and creativity. It was inspiring to see the interest the students have in protecting our environment and highlighting the importance of proper hydration. The students brought a unique perspective to the themes and the colour and imagination used was striking. Congratulations to all who entered and well done to all the prize winners.”
Tim Forde, General Manager Sports and Recreation, Clare County Council, said, “These stations allow users to fill reusable bottles with fresh drinking water, helping to reduce single-use plastic waste and encourage healthier hydration practices. All stations are positioned for easy access by the public, catering to a wide range of users, including families, athletes, and leisure seekers. The installation of these services is a direct response to service users and clubs who are striving to be waste free and seeking to support a greener environment. Clubs were encouraging attendees to bring their own refillable coffee cups and water bottles, however up to now they had no place to refill water bottles. This installation is expected to deliver ongoing value for Ennis residents, promoting good health practices through hydration. Thanks to smart capabilities of the machines, we are already seeing the positive impact of the units. In just the first month since installation, they’ve been used to refill over 5,000 bottles, an encouraging sign of their value and uptake.”
Samantha McCarthy, Healthy Clare Coordinator, Clare County Council, said, “‘Water is Life’ is one of the names of the winning drawings that was submitted as part of the primary school drawing competition, where students were asked to reflect on the importance of Hydrating and Refilling. The clear message from schools is that we should be more conscious of the impact that we can have on our environment if we take the time to reuse and refill. A sentiment shared by another competition winner was that ‘No one is too cool for water’. These important initiatives are driven by the work that we do under our programme outcome: Healthy Weight.”
Proper hydration is essential for overall health and wellbeing as it helps to: support physical performance; boosts brain function; aid digestion and nutrient absorption; regulate body temperature; support immune function; improve joint and muscle health; promote healthy skin; and prevent kidney stones and UTIs.
Individuals are encouraged to hydrate properly by: drinking consistently throughout the day; aiming for at least eight glasses (2 litres) daily; including hydrating foods like fruits and vegetables in your diet; and limiting dehydrating drinks like excessive caffeine and alcohol.
Such initiatives are a great example of community wellbeing supports. For more information on other events and activities delivered across the county on a monthly basis, visit: https://clarecoco.ie/services/sports-recreation/healthy-clare/newsletters/ to view Healthy Clare monthly newsletters.