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It’s almost springtime! Festivals and all sorts of events in their planning stages will soon be blooming like spring flowers all over the land. For the many Earth Day celebrations, “Green” fests and other events trying to operate more sustainably, there are ways to quench people’s thirst without resorting to cases or truckloads of bottled water.
For small events, like school field days and picnics, there are large “Gatorade” style containers that can be filled with tap water and ice. Everyone can bring their own reusable bottles to fill at the coolers as necessary. Just make sure the bottles are labeled with names before the fun begins! If it’s unlikely that most people attending your event will bring reusable bottles, you could offer disposable cups made out of PLA (corn plastic) or Bagasse (sugarcane fiber) that is biodegradable or cups made with some recycled material content. You will probably need to order these cups online and factor in time for shipping.
With a little upfront planning, it is even possible to free larger events like outdoor festivals from bottled water. For a helpful ten step program, I highly recommend the Food and Water Watch guide: “Free Your Event from Bottled Water, A Practical Guide to Take Back the Tap at Your Next Event and Avoid the Waste, Expense, and Environmental Problems with Bottled Water. Once you confirm that your caterer and vendors are on board, you need to identify the best tap water source, decide if you want to filter it, and calculate how much water you’ll need (1.5 liter/person). Next, plan self-serve water stations and choose serving containers. The final steps involve identifying partners to defray costs (e.g. municipalities, utilities, and water filtration companies), publicizing your event as bottled-water-free, and lining up volunteers to make it run smoothly.
An easy way to raise money to fund events large and small, while spreading the Back2Tap movement, is to sell custom logoed reusable stainless steel bottles. Please visit http://www.back2tap.com/ to learn more about how Back2Tap can help you “green” your event and raise money!
One day last week I picked my son up early from school for his annual physical. While at school, I checked out the brand new high-demand water cooler in the school cafeteria. The PTO purchased it with money raised during a Back2Tap reusable stainless steel bottle fundraiser. The installation of this cooler represents an exciting synergy between environmental protection, student health, and learning. The cooler is intended to encourage students to refill their reusable bottles so that they will drink more water (tap water rather than bottled), thereby reducing waste, improving health, and fostering learning.
As a Back2Tap fundraising coordinator last year, I had done some research on water coolers for schools and learned that Great Britain is a leader in this area. There is even a “Water Cooler ‘Point of Use’ Guidance for Schools” by Joe Harvey, Director of the Health Education Trust, an independent British charity. This 18-page document argues for installation of coolers in all schools (1 for every 200 people) and explains how to manage them efficiently. The guide quotes Ann Keen (Department of Health Under-Secretary) saying: “good hydration helps to reduce tiredness, irritability, and increases concentation. It contributes to a more settled and productive learning environment.” I was already aware that a healthy breakfast improved learning, but the importance of good hydration in education was new to me.
Later, at the doctor’s office, I was surprised and dismayed to find out that my son’s urine test indicated deydration. What? How could that be? He carries a big water bottle to school with him every day! The pediatrician told us how important it is to drink more water and stay hydrated. Yes, I know, I thought. How ironic to celebrate the arrival of the new cooler and find out my son is dehydrated on the same afternoon.
This coincidence made me appreciate the foresight of the PTO leaders for investing in the water cooler and of the principal for allowing students to have water bottles on their desks that they can refill during the day. If my son is getting dehydrated at school, I think that a very large percentage of students may also be dehydrated without realizing it. Once the students “discover” the great tasting filtered water from their new cooler and get into a habit of bringing in and refilling their reusable bottles, I am hopeful that they will all be better hydrated and better able to learn.
What type of water filtration system should I install in my kitchen? This is a question I am asked more and more frequently as people decide to ditch bottled water and get Back2Tap. There are many choices. First, you have to decide how much money you want to spend – you can improve the taste of your tap water for free or you can buy a filter system for $15 up to more than $500.
The cheapest method of improving tap water taste is simple and free: fill a pitcher with tap water and let it sit uncovered for 24 hours. The chlorine will dissipate and the water will taste better. The next most economical option is a $15-25 filter pitcher. There is an added cost of $8 for every 30 gallons for replacement filters.
Personally, I’m the $50 faucet-mounted filter type. It’s easy to install, convenient to use, and not very expensive. I use a PUR faucet-mounted filter for my kitchen sink because it has a three-stage filter that we were able to install ourselves within minutes – no plumber needed. It improves taste by removing chlorine, which is our primary goal. I’m not concerned about the quality of water coming from my water company, but I admit that it is nice to know that the filter also removes lead, microbes, some organics and other unwanted constituents. In order for the system to be effective, the filter has to be changed regularly ($20 to filter 100 gallons), about every two to three months. Mine has an indicator light that alerts you when the filter should be changed.
If you can afford to make a larger investment, a more thorough and reliable filtration system would be an under-the-sink system. It could be a three-stage system or a reverse osmosis system. These would cost between $150 and $500 and would require a plumber for installation. I do not have first hand experience with either of these although I have read that reverse osmosis is the best choice if you want to remove pharmaceuticals and just about everything else. One criticism I have read, is that reverse osmosis takes all the minerals out of the water, many of which are good for your health. Remember, people originally sought out spring water precisely for its mineral content and associated health benefits.
You can visit this helpful website that compares 10 of the leading water filter options and offers some cautionary advice for your filter search. I hope it will help you decide which model will meet your needs best: http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/water_filter_comparison.php .
Happy filtering!
After researching and trying all of the options, I believe the best type of reusable bottle is a high quality stainless steel bottle with a wide mouth and decent cap. Stainless steel doesn’t leach anything into your drink and is dishwasher safe. If it has a wide opening you can easily keep it clean and insert ice. Drinks taste good and stay cold; there is no residual odor or stain inside from yesterdays sports drink. It is also very durable and ultimately recyclable. If you fill your cool stainless steel water bottle with tap water from home, you’ll be enjoying the most cost-effective and carbon-conscious drink under the sun.
To learn more about all the water bottle options, please click on reusable bottle comparison table.
Most people probably don’t think about where their bottled water comes from, but if they knew they might not feel so good about it. The two main sources – municipal supplies and springs are both problematic.
About 40% of bottled water is simply filtered tap water. That begs the questions: why pay so much for it and why drag huge cases of it home from the store when the same thing is readily available from your faucet? It is much cheaper and more convenient to drink your own tap water even if you filter it.
While buying tap water in bottles may strike you as costly and inefficient, buying spring water may make you feel downright inconsiderate. Picture huge tanker trucks rumbling through small towns 24-7 to keep bottling plants fed with spring water. How about local residents finding lower water levels in their lakes, streams, or wells due to this over-pumping? There is also an impact to local ecosystems when huge quantities of water are removed entirely from a watershed.
In light of these unappealing choices, a third option, filling reusable bottles with tap water looks like the easy and cost-effective solution to the bottled water enigma.
If you want to learn more about the problems with bottled water and about how to choose a reusable bottle, visit http://www.back2tap.com/ .
