The Epoch Times- Tapping water with Think Outside the Bottle

Advocacy group wants dollars spent on public water systems

October 27, 2011

By Amelia Pang

Despite some resistance along the way to its message of saying "No" to bottled water in favor of improving public water systems, the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign (TOTB) has come a long way since its formation in 2006.

TOTB defines itself "as a campaign working to promote, protect, and ensure public funding for our public water systems" by "opting for tap over bottled water," according to its website. With its emphasis placed on spending tax dollars to improve public water systems instead of buying bottled water, the group has initiatives tailored for communities, college campuses, food establishments, faith groups—and government.

For example, according to TOTB spokesperson Kristin Urquiza, the state of Vermont spent $200,000 on bottled water for state employees in 2011; the same amount of tap water would've cost $1,500 a year, according to TOTB.

Depending on the size of the state, spending on bottled water could reach on average $100,000-$500,000 annually. Just last year, the District of Columbia spent nearly a million dollars on bottled water alone, according to the group.

Urquiza says it used to be that 70 percent of funding for maintaining public water systems came from the government. The government only funds 3 percent today.
“We put our money in what we think is important. ... Right now they're saying that our water system isn't a priority for us,” Urquiza said.

Progress has been made with six states going bottle free for government employees: Vermont, Maryland, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and Colorado.

TOTB is currently working with several other states, such as California, Minnesota, and Massachusetts.

Parts of some states, such as Massachusetts, need to upgrade aging pipes, some that are 90 years old.

“We need to recognize the value of good public water systems,” Urquiza said.
TOTB is being conducted by Corporate Accountability International (CAI), an organization, which wages campaigns "to challenge corporate abuse" by demanding "direct corporate accountability to public interests," according to CAI's website.

Besides raising awareness to the practicality of tap water and improving water infrastructure, TOTB is pressuring Dasani to label their source of water: the public tap.

The group in the past pressured PepsiCo to add "Public Water Source" labeling to its Aquafina project, and wants the company to provide water quality testing and test data for its product.
CAI has also worked on making sure corporations go through proper protocol to retrieve water from natural resources. “Nestle has a track record of bottling water [from springs] in communities without public consent or a permit. ... We need to protect our water resources,” said Urquiza.

The organization issued a press release Oct. 25 announcing a global partnership between the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Nestle, The Coca-Cola Co., and Veolia, which "aims to privatize water country by country."

CAI says the "new venture aspires to 'transform the water sector' by inserting the corporate sector into what has historically been a public service. The new partnership is part of a broader trend of industry collusion to influence global water policy."

Regulation

At campuses around the country, TOTB has been working with colleges such as Brown University, Seattle University, and Macalester College. It has also encouraged restaurants, convention centers, and coffee shops to go bottle free, currently reaching 300 establishments, according to the group.
But its government work has shown noticeable progress, including relationships with municipalities. “Out of the 140 cities we've worked with, 100 have agreed to go bottle free,” Urquiza said.

Only bottled water that crosses state lines is regulated personally by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bottled water that remains instate is held to the same standards, but regulated by the state.

According to New York's clean water advocate group Riverkeeper, 30–40 percent of bottled water crosses state lines.

The Need for Bottled Water

According to the International Bottle Water Association (IWBA), bottled water plays a vital role during disasters, for example, during the aftermath of the recent Hurricane Irene.

“The bottled water industry relies on a viable commercial market and cannot exist only for disaster response,” said IWBA.

“The percentage of water that is withdrawn for bottled water production is miniscule compared to agriculture usage,” said Chris Hogan, IWBA spokesperson.

IWBA says a study has been conducted to prove there is “no sound scientific evidence demonstrating concern for the quantity of the industry's use of groundwater.”

“They make big but not always accurate statements,” Hogan said.

“Some of the TOTB accomplishments don't seem incredibly helpful when tap water is not available. ... People are going to resort to soda instead.”

According to tests conducted in Toronto, Canada, schools, if bottled water is not available, two-thirds of consumers will choose sugar beverages instead.
 

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