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Show THE FORUM March 7, 3 2012 New refillable water stations encourage sustainability Lauren Johnson Contributing Writer JustTapIt. It feels really good, I promise. No, not like that, get your mind out of the gutter. Im referring to the program Taplt, a nationwide network of restaurants and cafes that allow people to come in and fill their water bottle for free. Have you ever been stranded, dehydrated and desolate in the concrete desert of our dear city? Then Taplt is for you. Salt Lake joined about a year ago, and were working really hard to get as many businesses on our roster as possible. Look for the Taplt logo in storefronts or download the app on your smart phone that allows you to search for locations on the go. In my perfect world, Taplt wouldnt be just for people who already depend on their reusable bottle. Im on a mission to convert people from bottled to tap. Heres why; Bottle water is taking over the world. According to a New York Times article, consumption of coffee, soft drinks, and even tap water is declining in favor of the packaged stuff. Since 1985, the average per person consumption has gone from 5 gallons a year to 21 gallons a year. OK, maybe its not taking over the world. But how companies have figured out how to bottle something thats basically free, sell it for about 1000 times the price completely clean, safe water that Westmini very graciously filters and chills, and then dispenses in fountains all around campus? I understand why people buy bottled water now, its convenient, theyre in the habit, they like the taste. But once you get in the habit of bringing your own bottle, I promise that its just as convenient. Salt Lake is incredibly lucky to have some of the safest wa- ter in the nation. A report by the National Resource Defense Council that tested over 103 brands of bottled water found that it is much less regulated and tested than tap water. were also instances of both chemical and biologiThere contamination. Dont worry, most of it was safe, but it certainly wasnt any safer than tap. Start a relationship with your Nalgene water bottle. Invest in a stainless steel bottle and put stickers on it. Buy the 30 dollar Sigg bottle with cherry blossom print because you know it will last generations (Ive already included mine in my will so that my future children can know the bottle). joys of a Save up to a thousand dollars a year buying something that should be free. Be creative about where you fill up Taplt is a great resource. Get the app on tapitwater.com or look for the sticker on participating busi- cal well-cared-f- or nesses. (or 2,900 times according to the NY Times) and then quadruple their sales in it over 25 years is a true feat of marketing malevo- Drink the water that came from the mountains we all love, melted from the snow that we ski on and play in, filtered in the city lence. where we live. May I point out that SLC has 4 1 l $ A new spout has been installed at the water fountain next to the AS WC office for easier bottle access. |