Volume 10, Number 2

February 2011

The
Taking back the Tap

Insider

Its February, Santa Rosa Creek is flowing, and green growth proliferates. It is a good time to stop and consider water. Do you know where the water you drink comes from? If you drink from the tap, you may be aware that this water flows 47 miles from the top of our watershed eventually making its way making its way to the ocean, only to go thorough the evaporation and precipitation process countless times. Cambria, of course, draws water from the creek and diverts this precious resource to our homes and businesses. What if you are quenching your thirst with a big plastic bottle of Evian, Dasani, Nestle, Aquafina, or worse Fiji? Where did this water come from? Furthermore how many petrochemicals went into the production of the bottle, and how much oil then went into the transportation of this product? Whose watersheds were pilfered to produce this commodity and were the other living inhabitants of this watershed considered? Are the bottlers mindful not to overdraft the watershed they extract the resource from? Does the local community profit or does the money go straight to the pockets of corporate interests? Is this water truly superior to the water from your own watershed Santa Rosa Creek? And where will the plastic bottle go when you are through with it? The statistics are staggering. The recommended eight glasses of water a day, at U.S. tap rates equals about $.49 per year; that same amount of bottled water is about $1,400. It takes 50 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles used in the U.S. alone. That's enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year. In 2007, Americans consumed over 28 billion single serve bottles of water; between 30 and 40 million single serve bottles went into landfills each year. Bottled water is less regulated than is tap water. It is also up to 1000 times more expensive! It is estimated that up to 80% of water bottles go to landfills and become litter. The most amazing statistic is that 3 liters of water is used in the packaging of each 1 liter of bottled water produced!! Water barons bottling for profit are not held accountable for over drafting the water table, pollution involved in processing, or impact on the local community. This leaves the responsibility in the publics hands. Education is crucial to demerit the myths of the bottled water industry. The industry is selling a sub-par product that is in no way ethical or sustainable. By taking a pledge not to buy bottled water you will be one less person funding a non-sustainable industry. You will also be closer to your own watershed. We are fortunate to have access to abundant clean drinking water, a privilege that 80% of the human population does not share. We would not want a major bottling facility to go into business pulling water from Santa Rosa Creek, depleting aquifers and polluting our community. By supporting bottled water industry we are passively allowing this to occur in someone elses back yard. Thanks to a donation from a Greenspace board member, we have purchased 500 stainless steel ergonomically designed water bottles to sell. Each bottle costs $10 and will provide you with many years of service. Call the office 805-927-2866 or email rick@greenspacecambria.org and reserve your beautiful green bottle today. The American public has been subject to the propaganda of the industry for long enough. Take back the tap!