Thanks to a partnership between Google and the Pacific Institute, an open-source drinking fountain app called We Tap that allows users to find and share the locations of public water fountains is under development. The We Tap drinking fountain app lets users easily share the whereabouts of public water fountains, rate their water quality and upload a photo of the location. The developers hope that the app will raise awareness and reduce consumption of bottled water.
Bottled water consumption has risen 3,000 percent in the past 30 years, creating a staggering amount of plastic and energy waste. With the ubiquitous nature of vending machines dispensing bottled water at $2 or more a pop, public drinking fountains are going the way of telephone booths. We Tap’s maps and ratings will help people make a more environmentally sound choice and maybe even drum up support for public drinking fountain infrastructure.
Drinking Fountain-Finding Apps
The We Tap Smartphone App Keeps Public H2O Locations in Sync
Trend Themes
1. Drinking Fountain Apps - Open-source drinking fountain apps are being developed that allow users to find and share the locations of public water fountains, presenting disruptive innovation opportunities for location-based service and health and wellness industries.
2. Environmental Awareness Apps - The We Tap app is raising awareness about plastic and energy waste and promoting the use of public water fountains, creating a disruptive opportunity for environmental awareness and sustainability-focused industries.
3. Social Ratings Apps - We Tap's ratings and photo-sharing feature provide a platform for social ratings and reviews, creating disruptive possibilities for industries such as social media and hospitality.
Industry Implications
1. Location-based Services - Apps that track the location of public water fountains can enable businesses to reach users seeking for drinking fountains that are close to them, creating disruptive innovation opportunities in location-based services.
2. Health and Wellness - Public water fountains are a healthier, cost-effective substitute to bottled water, providing the health and wellness industry an opportunity to partner with We Tap to promote hydration through sustainable consumption.
3. Environmental Sustainability - We Tap's eco-friendly mission creates disruptive opportunities for sustainability-focused industries in public health, zero-waste, and sustainable fashion.