"Piccadilly Pilot" wrote in message
...

Not unless it has changed recently. A publican or restaurateur is entitled
to charge for the labour ,use of the glass etc. Since they are also paying
for the water on a commercial basis they are surely entitled to pass that
charge on?

There was recently a case in Devon (IIRC) where a customer was charged for
tap water. The restaurateur made exactly the above case. However, South West
Water pointed out that the cost of the water, delivering it to the table and
the cost of water used in washing the glass would be something like
0.00001p.

The customer did the most sensible thing in such circumstances and referred
the details to the local press, who had a field day with the case and
utterly humiliated the restaurateur. Even the national press picked up on
it. The restaurateur might have salvaged some pride with a bit of humility
but made himself look an even bigger fool by adamantly standing by his
position.

Whilst there is nothing in law to stop anyone charging for tap water in
their own establishment, the majority of places regard it as a negligible
cost and that the goodwill is worth significantly more.