US coffee-shop chain Starbucks has defended itself against claims of a serious waste of water by leaving taps running in its stores all day. A spokeswoman said the purpose was to clean utensils and the policy meant the company met health standards. But environmental groups have criticised the practice, accusing Starbucks of wasting millions of litres of water every day... Starbucks says although it recognises that there are opportunities to reduce its water usage, it does comply with United Nations standards, and it has to balance water conservation with the need for customer safety... But environmental groups said they were shocked at what they said was serious water wasteage.