Choose tap water and save the planet

Barwon Water is promoting the use of reusable water bottles instead of pre-bottled water.

EARTH Day for 2018 was observed on Sunday, and Barwon Water is continuing its support of this year’s theme to end plastic pollution by advocating customers to “Choose Tap” over bottled water.

PET plastic bottles are the main packaging containers used for bottled water and Australians recycle less than 50 per cent of the bottles. The rest are littered, landfilled or end up in our oceans, threatening precious marine life.

Barwon Water managing director Tracey Slatter said drinking water from the tap is the best hydration choice for the environment, people’s health and their hip pocket.

“Providing our customers and the community with safe, sustainable and reliable drinking water is our top priority.

“With the average charge of one litre of bottled water the same as 6,000 glasses from the tap, it just doesn’t make sense to buy bottled water.

“Here in Australia we often take drinking water for granted. Not only is our tap water of the highest quality, it is also significantly cheaper per litre.”

Management of plastic waste is now considered a global crisis, and by simply using a re-usable water bottle instead of purchasing pre-bottled water, everyone can contribute in a small way to reducing (and hopefully ending) plastic pollution.

The Choose Tap campaign is supported by the state government’s Water for Victoria plan, which aims to help communities better understand urban water challenges and improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians while reducing waste.

Over the past five years, Barwon Water has provided more than 100,000 re-useable water bottles to students and community groups as part of its education and community support programs.

For more information on Barwon Water’s free education program, head to barwonwater.vic.gov.au/learning/schools.