Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Features

For all the detrimental effects of purchasing bottled water, its quality is likely no better, if not worse than tap water. While both products are H20, the Environmental Protection Agency strictly regulates tap water, while the Food and Drug Administration regards bottled water with the leniency of a burnt-out high-school principal. Also, according to the National Resource Defense Council, 60 to 70 percent of bottled water does not cross state lines and is therefore exempted from FDA regulation.

Not crossing state lines, you say? Yes. It turns out your bottled water from the Hub was not scooped up by a bikini-wearing girl in Central America, but likely went through a water filtration system in Indianapolis. Not as sexy, but true.

There are many more reasons to oppose bottled water, which I invite others to write about in letters to the editor. The privatization of water by corporations, which leaves local communities vulnerable, and the negative effects of plastic in landfills are massive topics concerning the consequences of bottled water use.

From the information provided, we at DePauw can change our culture of overconsumption. We can change the DePauw luncheons, philanthropies and rush events that pop Dasanis and "eco-friendly" Aquafinas like candy. Bring your Nalgenes, pitchers and water coolers to class, and stop buying bottled water. Then, we can all be in on the joke.



- Baratta is a junior from Findlay, Ohio, majoring in political science. He is a former president of DePauw Environmental Club.

features@thedepauw.com

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