Tourists in Venice this summer will be given an empty water bottle with the message "Don't throw me away, re-use me!" and a map indicating the 122 fountains flowing with water from the city's aqueducts, inviting them to quench their thirst directly from the source.

Venice was chosen for the launch of the "100% Public" program due to its obvious links with water and its role as a tourist center. However there are plans to take the project to Italy's other major cities, reports uk.reuters.com.

Italians are the world's largest consumers of bottled water, even though the natural water in Italy's fountains is some of the cleanest in the world.