Some colleges and universities such as Seattle University and the University of Wisconsin have banned plastic water bottles, like the brands Deer Park and Aquafina, from their campuses. Many more schools, restaurants, and other facilities are starting to follow this trend. The University of Maryland, New York University, and Stanford University have also made the effort to help the environment by banning the sale of bottled water in their dining halls. In the place they were originally sold there are now water fountains or other water dispensers where students can refill their reusable containers.

            As of 2007 in an effort to help the environment and save taxpayers money, Frederick County the County Board of Commissioners will no longer buy bottled water with county funds. Some of the major cities such as Las Angeles, Phoenix, and Chicago have also made it illegal to buy bottled water with county funds. More than 100 other cities and 3 states (Illinois, Virginia, New York) have already taken similar action.

            “It takes just as much time to fill a reusable bottle as it does to bend down and grab an already filled bottle out of the pantry or refrigerator. It saves money and the environment. I don’t know why anyone would be opposed to the ban,” said concerned Towson student Evan Hamlet.

            According to The Pacific Institute, a research center in California, it was found that over 30 billion bottles of water are bought in the United States each year and in total require 50 million barrels of oil to manufacture and ship, enough oil to run 3 million cars for a year. It also produces 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming.

            In a study by Corporate Accountability International called ‘Getting States off the Bottle’ they reported that in 44% of cases, the water in water bottles, such as Dasani and Aquafina, is actually tap water. There are more safety regulations put on controlling the water quality of tap water than of bottled water.

            “All water tastes the same to me so it wouldn’t really affect me if water bottles were banned,” said local Maryland resident Brenda Morcomb.

            However, not all people think the same as Morcomb. Some Maryland residents have said that their tap water has black specs in it or just tastes dirty.

            There are ways to fix this problem such as putting a water filter directly onto the main faucet in a person’s home. There are also water bottles that filter the water as it is consumed and only have to be replaced every 2 months. The filters are low in cost, don’t have to be replaced too often, and are much better for the environment.

            “Plastic water bottles are a major contributor to waste in our stream, rivers, and bay.” said Mary Roby, executive director of Herring Run Watershed Association.     

             Both time and money could be better spent investing in long-term, sustainable means of guaranteeing the supply of safe drinking water if that money was not spent buying water bottles.