Water

Academic Year 2011-2012

Academic Year 2010-2011

Goals for 2010-2011

1. Raise awareness of tap water on campus by mapping water resources.

2. Test water quality around campus and disseminate results.

3. Reduce amount of bottled water sold and to encourage the use of alternative bottled water products that are less harmful to the environment.
Academic Year 2009-2010

Take Back the Tap

History:

The Environmental Alliance began its Take Back the Tap (TBtT) campaign in the spring of 2009 with a series of taste tests on The Plaza. During the summer of 2009, we tested Duke's tap water from several sources and found it to be free of eight common contaminants. More recently, we have been collaborating with the DC-based NGO Food & Water Watch to raise awareness about the water crisis and take action to avert it.

Goals:

1) To raise awareness about the water crisis and change perceptions drinking water.

TBtT seeks to share information with the campus community about the dwindling supply of potable water. We are concerned about not only a global lack of drinking water, but also local inaccessibility to it. In privatizing water, bottling corporations limit access to an essential resource that we believe should always be public.

2) To make tap water more readily available on campus.

TBtT would like to work with the Facilities and Management Department to ensure that water fountains are strategically located and well maintained. In addition, we want to provide students with bottles and add spouts to several water fountains for easy bottle-filling.

3) To reduce bottled water sales on campus.

We hope to work with the University's administration to reduce bottled water sales on campus. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate such sales entirely.

Current projects:

Meeting with administrators to discuss beverage contracts.

Designing water bottles.
Planning for World Water Day (March 22, 2010).

If you have questions about TBtT or would like to join the campaign, please contact Peter Heisler (pah10@duke.edu).