Features
HEAG's Corner: Take back the tap
By Taylor Morris '14
October 18, 2012
With fall semester nearly halfway over, HEAG is making it our mission to “take back the tap” at Hamilton. Our goal is to encourage people to drink less bottled water and eventually eliminate bottled water from Hamilton’s campus altogether. Bottled water is actually not safer or cleaner than tap water: it is often bottled from tap water, it generates garbage, it is thousands of times more expensive than tap water and the bottled water industry is ruining the environment. In blind taste tests, people often cannot tell the difference between bottled and tap water, and they usually prefer tap water. We found that this was true at Hamilton last spring.
Even if you put your empty bottle in a recycling bin, it probably won’t become recycled, as about 80 percent of water bottles end up in landfills. The production of a water bottle uses 2,000 times more energy than the production of tap water, and 17 million barrels of oil are used to produce water bottles annually. Bottled water, unlike tap water, is not tested for e. coli, not required to provide sources and not required to produce quality reports. Tap water is actually tested more frequently and held to higher standards than bottled water, meaning it is safer to drink!
It is really easy to drink tap water rather than bottled water. Just remember to take your Nalgene, Sigg, Klean Kanteen or reusable water bottle with you in the morning so that you can fill it up at various locations around campus. Hamilton has many water fountains, and some even have filtered spouts. So instead of buying a water bottle everyday, invest in a reusable water bottle for around $15. If you use it everyday, you will save money in the long run! In addition to saving you money, tap water tastes better, and you can feel good about doing your part for the environment.
We have a lot of activities planned for this semester to gain support for Take Back the Tap at Hamilton! Be on the lookout for reusable water bottles, an eco-sculpture and a pledge to start drinking less bottled water.
Help us join over 90 other schools in Taking Back The Tap! Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/take-back-the-tap to learn more! And remember, HEAG meetings are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Glen House!