Water will always be the gold standard in healthy sips, but the disposable plastic bottles we’re used to buying it in are performing a disappearing act. Later this month, San Francisco will vote on a measure to ban the sale of bottled water—a product that's been criticized for driving waste and fossil fuel consumption—at events held on city property. It's a bold move, but not as new as you might think.
Two years ago, the city of Concord, Massachusetts, made waves by becoming the first city in the country to ban the sale of bottled water. But how do tens of thousands of people actually survive without bottled water?
The answer is surprisingly simple: They just do. Where once there was bottled water for sale, maps of strategically-placed water fountains all over the city are posted. Schools have special filling stations with spouts tall enough to dispense water into personal containers. Restaurants are more than willing to refill reusable water bottles. There’s even a portable multi-spigot water dispenser that makes appearances at crowded events like the town’s Fourth of July celebration.
At first it wasn’t easy; the bylaw initially “split the community right down the middle,” says Concord town manager Chris Whelan. However, citizens have taken to the new normal and this is best measured by the most recent attempt to repeal it in December 2013. The bylaw was almost unanimously supported by Concord’s residents, with more than 90% of their votes—almost double the support it had in a 2012 appeal.
“You’ll see the occasional water bottle someone bought out of town, but I don’t see people drinking more sugary drinks,” says Whelan. “People just carry refillable bottles around in their briefcases and backpacks.” In Concord, bottled water is just a thing of the past.
Tell us: Could you live without water bottles?
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