A campaign to promote the drinking of tap water is underway in Greater Moncton.
The three municipalities are partnered with The Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance to increase after hours access to clean water and reduce bottled water use.
Executive Director Christine McLaughlan says says tap water is better for you, cheaper, and a lot less expensive than bottled water.
“We know that we have really good water resources here in town, but with bottled water, a lot of people sometimes think that it’s better for you, or just because of marketing with the big bottled water companies,” says McLaughlan. “But that’s not always the case.”
She says with municipal tap water, there are many employees focused on making sure it’s healthy, and safe.
McLaughlan adds the water shed surrounding Turtle Creek is protected, which means the water quality is not being affected by any land use practices.
“We don’t know what their regulations are, and not only that, but water is sitting in plastic, and could be sitting in plastic in hot trucks,” says McLaughlan. “We don’t know how long it’s been sitting in that plastic, there could be leaching and different chemicals associated with that.”
McLaughlan says with surface water largely unfit for consumption, having after hours access to clean, safe drinking water is vital.
“We’re working with the City of Moncton to install more fountains around downtown, we’ve worked with these homelessness groups to identify areas of high priority to make sure people have access to those at all times,” says McLaughlan. “And not just homeless people, but people who are out using our trails recreationally.”
Bumper stickers are available for anyone wishing to show their support.
Businesses may also join the campaign by placing a sticker in their store-front window indicating support of tap water and identifying as a tap water refill location.
Businesses and residents may check their municipalities’ websites to obtain a sticker or for more information.
