Tap into water

By Caitlin Bewley
(3rd Yr Swinburne Uni)

Local water companies are in the early days of pushing the Choose Tap initiative, urging people to consider carrying their own bottles and refilling with tap water.
The campaign, which was started by Yarra Valley Water, aims to promote tap water as the best hydration choice for the environment.
Western Water is one of the corporations involved in the campaign and told The Moorabool News that although the campaign hasn’t made a huge impact yet, the aim is to reduce plastic and help the environment.
“We’re in the early stages of the campaign, but there are quite a number of water corporations involved,” a spokesperson for Western Water said.
“It’s all about reducing plastic. When people are out and about, they buy bottles of water out of convenience.
“The quality of water in bottles is really no different to what comes out of the tap.
“We’re trying to get people aware of it and get on them board,” they said.
The average Australian drinks 42 bottles of water a year with 33 of these ending up in landfill. Yarra Valley Water Managing Director and Choose Tap Advocate Pat McCafferty said there could be a solution.
“If all of us brought our own drink bottle each time we head out and make this as routine as taking our keys with us, we would see fewer people purchasing bottled water on the run.
“Convenience is the main reason why people choose bottled water, not because they prefer it,” Mr. McCafferty said.
The Choose Tap movement worked with councils and retailers around Australia to install more drinking fountains than ever at parks, walking tracks and shopping precincts.
“Bottled water costs 2000 times more than tap water and there are more important things people could be spending their money on,” Mr McCafferty said.