Latest Water Technologies of Abengoa Water - GineersNow GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 022, Abe | Page 34

World’s First Network of
Smartphone-Water Refill Stations
Reefill (http://www.reefill.com), a New York
based technology startup, is building the first
smartphone activated network of water refill
stations providing members with unlimited
access to cold, filtered tap water on the go.
Stations are conveniently located inside cafes
and other retail businesses around the city.
Reefill has launched a crowdfunding campaign
on Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/
project/preview/1188ad2c#/) to grow the
network from eight existing pilot stations
in Greenwich Village to over 100 locations
citywide. The goal? To help as many people as
possible ditch bottled water.
Last year, US bottled water sales topped $21
billion, finally surpassing those of soda, making
bottled water the nation”s drink of choice.
But bottled water, which can cost $2 or more
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Water Leaders • June 2017
for a single serving, is often just glorified tap
water and negatively impacts the environment
in a myriad of ways. A decline in public water
fountains has left consumers with few options
to avoid contributing to this massive waste
problem. Reefill solves the economic and
environmental problems of bottled water by
providing users the same convenience, but
without the waste and at a fraction of the cost.
To use Reefill, members (who pay $1.99
per month for unlimited access to all Reefill
stations) simply download the Reefill app
on iPhone or Android and search the map
for the nearest location. When they arrive at
the business they activate the station using
Bluetooth via the app and then fill their bottles
with cold, filtered water in seconds. The app
tracks how many bottles members have saved