Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced the ‘Dubai Can’ initiative to encourage residents to abandon single-use plastic bottles for refillable ones.
Officials stressed that tap water across the UAE is drinkable. They also urged people to install additional filters at home to ensure the water is not affected by aging pipes or tanks.
"The water goes through the process of desalination (removing any impurities) before it reaches your taps,” an official said.
As part of the initiative, residents and citizens of Dubai are encouraged to refill their own bottles using over 30 stations installed across the emirates. Officials said more stations are expected to be installed in the future.
The water at refill stations, officials confirmed, is “very similar” to the water provided from local and branded water bottles. The stations use filters to provide safe and free drinking water available for all.
