To the Editor: Reuse Water Bottles

The following letter was submitted by Bob Andrews of ConcordCAN.

Were you at the on July 4? ConcordCAN was there, working with the to help launch Concordʼs new campaign to promote Concordʼs healthy, well-regulated tap water and discourage the purchase and sale of water sold in single-serve plastic bottles.

Tap water was available at the event at two large, colorful “hydration stations” hooked up to a fire hydrant and equipped with multiple drinking fountains and faucets for filling up reusable bottles. It was really fun to see how many adults and kids were enjoying this fresh water, provided by the Concord Water Department. Some did not quite seem to know how to drink from a fountain, but, on such a hot day, many were obviously very grateful for this gift from the Town.

Next to the hydration stations was a table staffed jointly by the Water Dept. and members of ConcordCAN. Reusable bottles were on sale at the table at ten dollars each, and more than fifty such bottles were sold. On the table was a framed copy of the Board of Selectmenʼs Proclamation stating clearly that “Concord Discourages Bottled Water.” The Selectmen urged residents “to acquaint themselves with the many ways that increased reliance on bottled water causes harm to the environment.”

Along with discouraging the purchase or sale of bottled water, Concordʼs education campaign includes advocating for a revised and expanded statewide bottle bill that will require that a five cent deposit be collected on each bottle sold. While there is now a deposit required on most soda pop, bottled water has been excluded--a very irrational exclusion that results in great harm to the environment. Our Board of Selectmen has advocated for the revised bill for several years. At the Picnic in the Park it was exciting to see that more than 100 citizens signed a petition calling upon the Legislature to pass the current bill.

Alongside the petition, the ConcordCAN table made available informational fact sheets pertinent to the harmful impact of bottled water sales on us and our environment. Reports on water quality from the Water Dept. were also available.

ConcordCAN undertook to collect as many as possible of the plastic water bottles sold by vendors at the event. Many were retrieved from recycling bins around the park while others were cheerfully thrown by passers-by into a large wire container near the ConcordCAN table. ConcordCAN is committed to creating a giant sculpture out of these bottles, dramatizing the 1500 bottles consumed in the United States each second.. In the end, we were pleased to see how few discarded bottles wound up in our collection.

Perhaps the availability of good tap water and the education about why to choose it are beginning to take hold in our community! More and more people understand that convenience is not everything and that bottled water is not really a healthy or environmentally responsible choice.

Our campaign will not cost the community big money. Our campaign is all about consumer choice. Reusable bottles filled with tap water are just as convenient as commercially bottled water and are preferred by more and more people of all ages. If you donʼt like the taste at the tap, many different types of filter are available. Start enjoying our good local water from the tap! Tell your family and friends what you are doing, and why.

-Bob Andrews, ConcordCAN