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Council leads by example with reusable water bottles
By: Daniel J. Chacon
The Rocky Mountain News
May 12, 2008
After defending its use, the Denver City Council has decided to swallow the old logic and give bottled water the boot.
"I just purchased two reusable water bottles for everybody in the effort to get rid of the plastic throwaway bottles," council Staff Director Lauri Dannemiller said. "We're really trying to reduce the amount of those plastic bottles that go in the landfill."
The environment wasn't such a concern in November 2006 when the Rocky Mountain News reported that the city spent at least $117,000 over a three-year period on bottled water, when, in many cases, tap water or a drinking fountain were just a few feet away.
At the time, council President Michael Hancock defended the council's use of bottled water while conducting city business, saying it boiled down to a "sanitary issue" to have staffers handling pitchers of drinking water.
But on Friday, Hancock said the idea of reusable water bottles quenched his concerns.
"We kept working and working and finally Lauri and I came up with this plan that would keep things sanitary," he said. "One, it's my bottle. Two, I can keep it clean by taking it to the dishwasher. And three, the water . . . is coming out of a secure filter."
Also, it's "time for City Council to walk its talk," Hancock said, referring to the city's efforts to be more environmentally conscious.
"I'm all on board, and it is sanitary, so there we are," he said.
Councilman Charlie Brown said he isn't there yet, however. He said there are health concerns with reusable water bottles, too.
"Where is my good old Stetson, so I can put water in my Stetson?" he said, laughing.
Experiments on rats have linked behavioral and brain changes and cancer risks to the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, which is used in various products, including reusable water bottles.
Dannemiller said she is looking into whether the water bottles that council members are now carrying contain BPA.
Dannemiller said council members will still have the option to drink bottled water and that it will be available for guests.
But, she said, "my goal is to totally eliminate the purchase of the plastic water bottles."
Michele Weingarden, director of Greenprint Denver, the city's environmental initiative, applauded the council's decision.
"It's an opportunity for City Council to lead by example," she said. "Their meetings are broadcast every week, so no more will people see (throwaway) bottles of water in front of them, and that's a strong message to the community from an environmental standpoint."
Article URL:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/12/
council-leads-by-example-with-reusable-water/
