bottled vs.tap: - Virginia Water Environment Association

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vs.Bottled Versus Tap:A Stroll on the Boardwalk Tellsthe Tale of the Better Tasting DrinkWhile many in the water industryunderstand the differencesbetween bottled and tapwater, most notably costs, bottledwater still garners an extensive share ofthe bottled drink market. There are a varietyof reasons for this, but other than convenience,those of us in the drinking waterindustry find these reasons incredibly frustrating,especially when people claim bottledwater tastes better. While some hard watersin the Midwest or groundwaters in Floridacan have taste issues, here in Virginia, weare blessed with high-quality source watersand, as a result, great tasting drinking water.However, go to any grocery or conveniencestore and you will see a wide variety of typesand sizes of bottled water for sale.As part of the 2012 Virginia VA wwa andVWEA Joint Annual Meeting (WaterJAM),volunteers for both associations partnered tohost the First Annual Water Taste Test/Educa-tion Booth one late summer Sunday afternoonon the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. This boothincluded both a water taste-testing tent and awastewater education tent, hosted by HRSD.The water taste-testing tent offeredpeople strolling along the boardwalk anopportunity to taste samples of bottled water(Deer Park) and tap water side-by-side. Thetap water was delivered through our veryown water bar – which looked mysteriouslylike a beer tap (courtesy of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg Water Authority). JonathanNewcomb, Blacksburg-Christiansburg WaterAuthority, and Mala Burton, City of Hopewell,managed the water bar and ensured thatrefreshing, cold tap water continued to flowthroughout the event. It was an open tastetest as we had too many people to conductblind taste tests effectively. However, thisallowed participants to watch us take theirpersonal samples from both the Deer Parkcontainers and the water bar.Beachgoers, runners, and other touristsand residents stopped by to sample thetwo waters and render their verdict. BeckyMitchell, City of Virginia Beach, and AmeliaDelphos, unpaid child worker, did an excellentjob in dispensing the water, educatingthe participants and keeping track of theirpreferred water. In addition, Paul Delphos,Black & Veatch, and Jim Ewing, Woolpert,Inc. helped set up the tents and providedboth active and moral support throughoutthe event.In addition to the taste test itself, afive-gallon bucket was on display next toa 2.5 gallon Deer Park water container.This helped demonstrate the cost differencebetween bottled water and tap water.The water in the five gallon bucket costapproximately $0.02 while the 2.5 gallonDeer Park containers were purchased for$2.99 at a local grocery store earlier thatmorning – approximately 275 times more2012 WaterJAMTap Versus Bottled Water Cost ComparisonWater Actual Cost $/kgal5 gallons of tap $0.022 $4.402.5 gallons of Deer Park $2.99 $1,2002012 WaterJAM water taste test/education booth. Jonathan and Mala distribute tap water, NOT beer.Under the shadow of King Neptune, Becky andAmelia distribute water to beachgoers.14 The Conduit – Fall 2012
The kids especially liked the Free Stuff!! Nancy and Sarah explain WW management. Final Score: Tap - 110 Bottled – 26.expensive than the tap water. While manyof the passersby knew bottled water wasmore expensive, most had no idea it wasTHAT much more expensive. The turnoutwas exceptional. In a two-hour period, weprovided more than 900 cups of tap waterand bottled water.Adjacent to the taste testing table was apublic information table where we provided200 VA awwa refillable water bottles toparticipants, as well as a variety of publiceducation materials, including stickers,pamphlets and gifts for kids. Alicia Connelly,Fe Estoesta, and Deidre Harmon of theCity of Norfolk helped pass out these itemsand educate the public on the differencesbetween tap and bottled water.In addition to the drinking water tent,HRSD was on site to show how cleanwastewater is after it is treated at one of theirtreatment facilities. A bowl of effluent fromHRSD’s King William Treatment Plant wasplaced on the table next to water samplesfrom the Atlantic Ocean, ChesapeakeBay, and the Elizabeth River. Visitors wereamazed by the clarity of the effluent, especiallywhen compared to the other naturalwaters adjacent to the effluent. Beyond justthe visual comparison, HRSD employeesNancy Munnikhuysen, Sarah Crawford andPhil Hubbard provided information regardingthe wastewater treatment process. Theyalso gave away “Don’t Sink It” can lids toremind the public not to put fats, oil andgrease (FOG) down the drain.Finally, and most importantly, tap waterwas preferred by 110 of the participants whovoted, while only 26 preferred bottled waterand 12 who really didn’t have a preference.All and all, it was an incredibly fun andenlightening day for many on the VirginiaBeach boardwalk at the first Annual Water-JAM Taste Test/Education Booth. The committeeplans to take what they’ve learned atthis year’s event to make next year’s eventeven better!Offices WorldwideNewport News | 757.599.7010Norfolk | 757.222.1500Richmond | 804.648.6630Roanoke | 540.278.2400Vienna | 571.327.5800Trenchless Expertisefor the Real Worldw at e rwww.hdrinc.comadvanced trenchless applications can helpkeep your system performing at its best.HDr’s experienced modelers, engineers andconstructors combine their knowledge oftrenchless technologies with your needs tohelp make smart renewal and replacementdecisions. For reliable and cost-effectiveinfrastructure solutions, call on HDr.to learn more, contact water@hdrinc.com.Fall 2012 – The Conduit15
Page 1 and 2: President’s Corner From the admin
Page 3: EBARA STANDARD PUMPSSubmersible sum
Page 6 and 7: President’s CornerClarke Wallcraf
Page 8 and 9: Disaster Managementfor Water and Wa
Page 10 and 11: Work for Water Committee at WaterJA
Page 12 and 13: CALLING ALL OPERATORSOperations Cha
Page 16: Communication Committee Announcemen
Page 19 and 20: were asked to describe six factors
Page 21 and 22: WaterJAM2013September 8-12, 2013Ric
Page 23 and 24: WATERJAM 2012CLAY SHOOTFifty-seven
Page 25 and 26: explained that Virginia was making
Page 27: Here is how you get more out of you
Page 30 and 31: Young Professionals Events atWATERJ
Page 32 and 33: VA AWWA/VWEA Student Activities Com
Page 34 and 35: Young LeadersMoving Up!By Martin Ma
Page 36 and 37: Young ProFESSionALS CommiTTEEBy Son
Page 38 and 39: Eastern Region YPsBy Ryan Radspinne
Page 40 and 41: VWEAStormwaterCommitteeBy Lisa Jeff
Page 42 and 43: Purcellville’s Basham SimmsSafety
Page 44 and 45: WhySafety?By Jeff Martin, City of L
Page 46 and 47: Utility Management CommitteeBy Matt
Page 48 and 49: EbbFlowIf the challenge involves wa
Page 50 and 51: Advertiser Information CenterPlease

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