Take It From the Tap

Councilmember LaBonge drinks fresh water as it flows into the Silver Lake Reservoir. He stands with DWP General Manager and CEO H. David Nahai and Council President Eric Garcetti.

In an effort to reduce the proliferation, littering and accumulation of plastic water bottles, Councilmember Tom LaBonge wants Angelenos to drink from the tap. The Councilmember introduced a motion to the City Council in June directing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to initiate a “Take It From the Tap” campaign.
     “I’m a fan of Los Angeles water and always have been,” said the councilmember, who orders tap water in restaurants. “I’m glad people are enjoying water because it’s good for them. The trouble is that the bottles end up littering our streets, stacking up in our landfills and clogging our storm drains.”
     Bottled water sales have shot up dramatically in the past decade, raising concerns among scientists and environmentalists alike. Americans buy more bottled water than any other people in the world. The Beverage Marketing Corporation says the energy required to make water bottles in the United States is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil annually. Less than 20 percent of those bottles are recycled, however.
     “It’s incumbent on those of us in government to remind people that if they drink water from the tap it helps preserve their environment. And it tastes good, too,” the Councilmember said, citing a February water-tasting competition. The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to the DWP, tied for first place in an international taste test in February of this year.
     The LaBonge motion directs the LADWP to return to Council within 30 days with a report on his proposal. LaBonge’s motion was forwarded to the City Council’s Energy and Environment Committee for review.