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Backlash Against Bottled Water Gains Momentum:

Food & Water Watch To Coordinate Access to Tap Water at Slow Food Nation

Washington, DC-- Food & Water Watch is partnering with sustainable food activists to ensure access to safe, clean, free tap water at the upcoming Slow Food Nation festival Labor Day weekend in San Francisco, California. The event is one of many in a growing movement to reject bottled water. The consumer advocacy group will coordinate the installation and operation of five tap water stations at the event and will sell patrons re-usable, environmentally friendly stainless steel canteens. It will also produce a how-to guide for event planners interesting in catering bottled-water free events.

“The mission of the Slow Food Nation festival is to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch. “Sustainable foods should be enjoyed with the world’s most sustainable beverage and that’s tap water.”

Food & Water Watch has been working with activists in eight cities across the country to urge restaurants to ban bottled water from their establishments and to educate consumers of the benefits of tap water as part of its Take Back the Tap campaign.

These activities mirror a national trend of cities and towns rejecting bottled water. Last month Mayors from across the country voted against spending taxpayer money to buy bottled water; and in Wells Maine, activists successfully pressured city officials to postpone a vote that would have established a 30-year contract with Nestle to allow the corporation to take between 250,000 to 500,000 gallons of water a day for their bottling practices.

“Bottled water is nothing but a corporate hoax to trick consumers into paying hundreds, sometimes thousands, times more for a product than what it is actually worth,” said Hauter. “In addition to being no better than tap water, bottled water causes a host of equity and environmental problems. All Americans should have access to clean, safe, affordable water.”

Food & Water Watch will kick-off its participation in Slow Food Nation this Saturday, July 12 at 9:00 a.m. outside San Francisco’s City Hall where it will join Slow Food Nation organizers for the planting of the event’s Victory Garden. Food & Water Watch will be there to provide information about the Take Back the Tap campaign and will be giving away free reusable water bottles to mobilize participants against bottled water.

Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer rights organization that challenges the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources. Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org