Free tap water will be available at UK Construction Week to crack down on single-use plastic and support a water charity in Nairobi.

UKCW is a built environment event taking place from 9-11 October at the NEC, Birmingham. It has partnered with Join the Pipe, a charity that provides clean drinking water in Kenya’s capital.

Attendees at UKCW will be able to fill up water bottles for free at Join the Pipe’s stations at every bar at the show and at its stand in Hall 12.

And the first thousand visitors to visit the Continuing Professional Development hubs on each day of the event will receive a free reusable UKCW water bottle.

Nathan Garnett, UKCW Event Director, said: “A staggering 13 billion plastic bottles are used each year in the UK, and 5.5 billion of those end up in landfill, litter or incinerators.

“We do not want our event to add to that appalling waste.

“Our visitors can stay hydrated with free water and a stylish reusable bottle, and we can help to reduce the growing amount of plastic waste we put into our environment while also helping children who have desperate need of clean water - everyone’s a winner.”

Andrew Eversden, Managing Director of Join the Pipe International, said: “It has been proven that if you provide easy, convenient and reliable places for people to fill up their bottles and drink tap water, they will.

“Our refills stations are designed to do exactly that, bringing tap water to everyone, everywhere. In the process, supporters are contributing to a water project in a developing country.