Bottled water could be banned by councillors to help cut the pollution caused by meetings.

The majority of Brighton and Hove's restaurants serve bottled mineral water, and while some provide tap water on request, some will not.

Following in the footsteps of the capital's 'London on Tap' campaign, Labour councillors are urging the city's officials and residents to reduce their carbon footprint and cut down on bottled water.

People drink six million litres of bottled water every day in the UK, averaging 37.6 litres each every year.

Tap water is up to 500 times cheaper than bottled water and emits around 300 times less carbon dioxide in processing than its bottled equivalent. One glass of tap water has a carbon footprint of 0.3g of carbon dioxide, but a bottle of mineral water has a carbon footprint of up to 185g of the global warming gas.

East Brighton ward councillor Warren Morgan has proposed a motion to cut down on bottled water in the city and stop it being used in council meetings.

The motion urges the council to do all it can to encourage restaurants, cafes and hotels in the city to provide tap water on request or as a matter of course, and to encourage the use of reusable carafes which encourage people to opt for the cheaper and more sustainable alternative to bottled water.

Coun Morgan said: "If you buy a bottle of water when you are out and about that's fine, but rather than throwing it away, take it home, re-use and refill it.

"This isn't a 'Stop buying bottled water' thing - we all need to get some when we are out and about sometimes and it is obviously healthier than the sugar heavy carbonated drinks.

"But buying branded bottled water in restaurants just because it is fashionable when chilled tap water tastes the same, costs less and has much less impact on the environment doesn't really make sense.

"We should remember that our tap water is of very good quality."

A spokesman for Southern Water said: "Customers can be confident that the drinking water from their tap is safe to drink and there is no need to use bottled water.

"One litre of Southern Water's water costs just 10 pence. Fresh water is on-tap each minute of the day and is tremendous value for money."

But Ashleigh Fleming, from the Bottled Water Information Office, said: "People make an informed choice to drink bottled water, understanding that it is unique and offers a distinct alternative. By its very nature bottled water is pure, safe and sustainable.

"Bottled water currently accounts for just 0.03% of total UK carbon emissions and the industry is committed to cutting its carbon footprint further, through recycled packaging and innovations in extraction, energy efficiencies and transport."