My name is Leslie Samuelrich and I am representing Think Outside the Bottle – a national initiative encouraging people to opt for tap over bottled water and to support public water systems. It is also a coalition that represents public officials, communities of faith, restaurants, celebrities, student groups, and individuals across the country.

Think Outside the Bottle commends Representative Beth Bye and other state leaders for joining cities and states across the country in eliminating this unnecessary taxpayer expense. The fact is, bottled water is bad for taxpayers, it’s bad for our public water systems, and it’s bad for the environment.

In acting on this proposal, Connecticut will join:

• the state of Illinois;
• cities like Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Albuquerque;
• prominent national restaurants;
• and a growing number of campuses and faith institutions;

…in eliminating spending on bottled water.

It is significant that Connecticut’s leaders are now joining these ranks -- sending the message that state tap water is safe, clean, reliable and more than good enough for the statehouse. Unfortunately, state bottled water contracts have long sent the mixed message that – on the one hand, our public water systems are strong – but that said we’ll drink bottled water instead.

An entire generation is growing up thinking that the only place to get water is from a bottle, thanks in part to this mixed messaging and aggressive marketing. But state lawmakers can turn the tide. And by thinking outside the bottle these lawmakers can spare our landfills the plastic waste, spare taxpayers an unnecessary expense, and guarantee our public water systems remain among the best in the world.

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