Sustainability is Sexy: Take back the tap

Illustration by Samantha Savret

By Michelle Moulton /// Staff Writer

Water is an everyday necessity.   However, according to United Nations Human Development report, a shocking 1.1 billion people are struggling to find sufficient, clean water sources.

The privatization and exploitation of water sources by bottled water companies not only perpetuates this inaccessibility, but also makes water increasingly unaffordable.  For instance, the Columbia Water Center reported that springs in Sukabumi, Indonesia have been completely extracted by bottled water companies. The 1999 privatization of water in Bolivia made water bills increase by $20 a month —a significant percent of monthly income for locals.

In Ore., we have the privilege of clean, publically owned tap water, so why not take advantage of that? According to the Oregon City Finance Department, tap water in Ore. costs about a penny for every four gallons.  Compare this with the average price of bottled water, which is around $3. When you purchase bottled water, it’s the production of plastic you’re paying for.

The Take Back the Tap Campaign is a nationwide initiative that has an ultimate goal of ending the sales of bottled water.  Its more immediate goals include ending student funding for bottled water and reducing LC’s purchase of bottled water to a bare minimum for emergencies.  Sophie Ara Se (‘15), an undergraduate working on this campaign, said, “When did we ever need bottled water?  It is unnecessary plastic which corporations advertise as pure.”

This marketing works. The Worldwatch Institute reported that the global consumption of bottled water reached 189 billion bottles last year, a 7.9% increase from 2002.  Nestlé, Coca-cola and Pepsi, hidden under the labels of Aquafina, Dasani, Arrowhead and Deer Park, are the main bottled water suppliers, and spend millions of dollars marketing purity and convenience while portraying tap water as unhealthy.

Other issues include the fact that there’s a limit to the amount of times plastic from water bottles can be recycled, and it is non-biodegradable.  This means that all the plastic that’s produced will eventually make its way to a landfill.

If you want to take action, simply invest in a reusable canteen, and choose tap water over bottled water.  If you want to get involved, email seed@lclark.edu for more information.