tap water

Riverkeeper Salutes Paterson for Phasing Out Bottled Water

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:49:12 -0400

May 6, 2009 (Tarrytown, NY) – Riverkeeper applauds Gov. David A. Paterson for making the environment a top priority by signing an Executive Order phasing out New York State’s purchase and use of bottled water. The Order will gradually stop government spending on single serve as well as cooler-size water bottles that state agencies use. It also requires each executive agency to stop buying bottled water and to make ordinary tap water available, through water fountains and dispensers.

This policy change is a major win for Riverkeeper, which joined a coalition of environmental groups in lobbying the state to stop buying and using bottled water in state agencies.

“We are pleased that Governor Paterson is making New York a leader in curbing our national addiction to bottled water,” said Hudson Riverkeeper Alex Matthiessen. “For decades, we have turned our back on municipal water in favor of bottled water which has been bad for our environment and bad for our wallets. Take our water fountains – in both office buildings and public spaces – which have fallen into disrepair, depriving New Yorkers of easy access to New York’s safe and delicious municipal drinking water. Governor Paterson’s order gives us the incentive to reinvest in our public water supply and deliver systems.”

Last year, Riverkeeper launched a tap water campaign to educate New Yorkers about the health, economic and environmental benefits of drinking tap water. Riverkeeper is the public watchdog of the New York City watershed, which supplies up to 1.5 billion gallons of unfiltered, top-quality drinking water per day to more than 9 million people. Tap water is actually safer than bottled water, because it is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and is tested multiple times each day, while no government agency tests bottled water.

Bottled water is also a thousand times more expensive than tap water, and its production and transportation across hundreds or thousands of miles causes pollution, which contributes to global warming. Plus, approximately 85% of the empty plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up in the garbage instead of being recycled, adding about 2 million tons of plastic bottles in U.S. landfills each year. New York is now the third state to end the purchase and use of bottled water.

Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect the Hudson River, and its tributaries, and the New York City drinking water supply.

For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

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Riverkeeper Press Room

Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market® Promote Tap Water for Clean Water Week

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:35:57 -0500

For Immediate Release: February 20, 2009

Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market® Promote Tap Water for Clean Water Week

New Yorkers will be learning about their world-class tap water from the experts—Riverkeeper—at their local Whole Foods Market throughout the week of 2/23 – 2/27

New York, Feb. 20, 2009 – In recognition of Clean Water Week, Feb. 23-28, Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market are teaming up for the Tap Water Awareness Project, a collaborative effort designed to educate consumers about the high quality of NYC’s tap water.

Riverkeeper—the leading protector of the NYC Watershed—will have representatives at 5 different Whole Foods Market stores conducting blind taste tests where visitors can test their ability to distinguish between bottled water and NYC’s finest. They will also share information on the NYC Watershed, the upstate source of New York City’s drinking water, and provide guides on how to read your water report to determine if you need a filter in your home.

New York City tap water, which flows unfiltered from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains and Westchester County, is some of the finest in the world. It is also far less expensive than bottled water, a plus in these tough economic times.

Riverkeeper’s tap water advocacy focuses on increasing the availability of tap water in public and institutional settings and passing legislation to properly fund and maintain our local and national water infrastructure. Riverkeeper also focuses on land preservation and pollution controls within the watershed.

To further promote the campaign, Whole Foods Market is selling Riverkeeper’s “I Bottle My Own” reusable stainless steel bottles. 100% of the proceeds go to support Riverkeeper’s work in the watershed.

Riverkeeper representatives will be conducting blind taste tests at the following Whole Food Market stores:

Monday, Feb. 23: Tribecca store from 11:30am to 2pm; White Plains store from 5pm to 8pm
Tuesday, Feb. 24: Chelsea store from 11:30am to 2pm
Thursday, Feb. 26: Columbus Circle store from 5pm to 8pm
Friday, Feb. 27: Bowery store from 5pm to 8pm

Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect the Hudson River, and its tributaries, and the New York City drinking water supply.

For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

Riverkeeper Press Room

11-27-08: A Sea Change - Holiday shopping: plastic bags blow & Riverkeeper bottles

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:37:50 -0500

www.aseachange.net/2008/11/holiday-shoppin.html

Riverkeeper Press Room

MSNBC - Tap local resources, not bottled water

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:51:45 -0500

Bottled isn’t necessarily safer than tap — and it’s definitely less eco-friendly

By Marisa BelgerTODAYShow.com contributor

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27785919/

Riverkeeper Press Room

ABC News - Riverkeeper promotes drinking safe, clean NY city drinking water

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:39:16 -0500

abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex

Riverkeeper Press Room