A PUBLIC water tap in Alloa has played its part in helping Scotland save the equivalent of five million plastic bottles.

The community-use top-up tap, located on High Street, was installed in November 2019 by Scottish Water as part of a national initiative to encourage people to save water.

Now, the organisation has revealed that the top up taps initiative has inspired a 19 per cent increase in people carrying a refillable bottle.

Scottish Water recently installed their 100th public refill tap in the shadow of the Kelpies in Falkirk, marking a centenary of top up taps since launching in 2018.

Kes Juskowiak, general manager of customer water services for Scottish Water, said: "It's brilliant that so many locals and visitors alike are using out top up taps in such numbers.

"But nothing would make us happier than seeing even more! There couldn't be many better reasons for carrying a refillable water bottle and topping up regularly – it's good for your health, good for your pocket and good for the planet.

"Water is our most precious natural resource and we want the people of Scotland and visitors to have access whenever they need it."

The top up tap in Alloa was unveiled by young eco-warriors from Sunnyside Primary, who helped make posters as part of Scottish Water's Your Water, Your Life campaign.

The Alloa tap was the 16th to be installed in Scotland the first in Clackmannanshire.

The tap is plumbed directly into the local water supply and digital tracking technology keeps count of how much water is being used and how much plastic is potentially saved.