Have you heard of TapIt?

Every quarter, with our water bill, comes a newsletter from our water company. This quarter's newsletter had a write-up about an initiative to get people to STOP USING BOTTLED WATER.

I'm going to publish what they wrote in just a second, but before I might loose your attention, please notice this: there's a website and phone app called TapIt which lists companies that invite you to come to their restaurants and refill your reusable water bottles! Check out your area, and see if you can fill up your reusable bottles!

Here's what was published by Fairfax Water:

...What is TapIt? It is a network of cafes and eateries that let you fill your reusable water bottle with great tasting tap water for free when you are away from your home or office...


TapIt was founded in 2008 in New York City as a way to help keep plastic bottles out of landfills and streets by making tap water more available when we're on the go. The TapIt network now spans 22 states and includes more than 750 locations.


According to Back2Tap, the U.S. ranks first in bottled water consumption despite having one of the most reliable public water systems in the world. Here are some other interesting facts about bottled water:
- Americans drink 140 million bottles of water a day and spend more than 11 billion dollars a year on bottled water. 
- Bottled water costs more per gallon than gasoline.
- It takes 36 ounces of water to produce one 12-ounce plastic water bottle.
- Fifty percent of bottled water is repackaged tap water.
- It takes up to 2,000 times more energy to produce a bottle of water than to run a faucet. 


Note: if you want to read more about bottled water, I like how The Frugal Girl wrote about it in this blog post and this one, too. 


Funny story: We were visiting my folks a few months ago. My daughter was working with my dad in their yard, and they were both thirsty. My daughter treks all the way back into the house to ask me if she can have a bottle of water like Papa. I kindly tell her 'no,' but I filled up her water container with ice water for her. She asks why she can't have bottled water like Papa so I explain that bottled water isn't good for the earth. She drinks her drink inside and then heads back outside to work some more. To make sure she goes to him instead of wandering elsewhere, I look over the deck at where they are working. I see her walk right up to Papa and hear her tell him that he's killing the earth by drinking bottled water!!!! :)