Environment
Filtered Water on Every Corner?
We've all been there. You're thirsty as anything and make for a water fountain. You lean over the edge, press the button, open your mouth, and see a stomach-turning pile of spit, mould, or leftover gum sitting two inches from your face.
It's not the most appetizing experience, and it may be a small part of why people on a quest for clean, healthy drinking water still choose to buy one-time-use water bottles instead of filling up a reusable bottle at a public tap or water fountain.
Here's a thought: if there were machines stationed around Vancouver that would pump out free, mineralized, filtered water for you to refill your water bottle with, would you use them?
SFU actually has one of these machines (called "WaterFillz") at their Burnaby campus, as does the University of the Fraser Valley. A friend of mine thinks this is an absolutely brilliant idea, and she wants to see these water stations on every street corner, or at least in every building frequented by the public.
The WaterFillz system looks a lot like any (insert carbonated beverage brand name here) machine -- except unlike pop machines, this one uses less wattage than a light bulb to filter and pump out your drink (linking onto the same system we get our tap water from).
It's one possible solution to our overuse of disposable bottles.
Recently, municipalities throughout Canada have considered plastic water bottle bans to try to address the huge waste that comes from trashing them. This includes Vancouver.
In a meeting in May of last year, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation discussed strategies for decreasing water bottle usage, including the possibilities of ceasing to sell bottled water in Park Board facilities, and of building water fountains that are more suitable for filling up reusable water bottles. In the end they decided to deal with the issue after the 2010 Olympics with a plan to develop a proposal for 2011.
In celebration of Canada's first Bottled Water Free Day, let's consider how to kick the bottle. I think a network of water filtration machines set up throughout Vancouver could be pretty damn awesome.
Photo by Misterwindupbird on Flikr.
Discussion
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Vancouver already has some of the best water, do we really need a bunch of filtration machines around the city operated by a private company? Instead, we could redesign and multiply the amount of water fountains throughout the city so that they don't collect an unappetizing array of gum and spit in their basins.
This seems like one of those cases where the problem requires such a simple solution that it is overlooked in favour of something more flashy.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/11/the-story-of-bottled.html
true dat, we have best water, some fuss over chlorine,soon less with new van water system.
I love good water we have so much we pimp it out to our detriment.
There's no need to filter Vancouver water. It's some of the cleanest in the world.
I'd like to see more water fountains and some funding for keeping them in good repair.
The story of bottled water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S49d-U5r3Hw
Great water sure - cold & refreshing - NOT the fountains have and will get abused by hoodlums. Some areas of BC do NOT offer fresh and pure from the tap - live in Kelowna for a while - the pipes in the buildings add a foul smell and no doubt some not so desireable creatures to tap water - I am all for this! Besides, if the water is free and the machines can be paid for by advertising like the link says - why not? We are bombarded with advetising always and for me it does not good where this would offer free healthy water for everyone!
Where is the WaterFillz at SFU? I must use it!
I drink a stupid amount of water so I carry a reusable water bottle around with me all the time (I feel anxious without it) and when I need it filled, I usually go into a cafe, get them to fill it, use the water jug they have on the counter, or if they're too busy and don't have a water jug, I'll fill it in the washroom.
I feel like lots of people don't want to carry around reusable water bottles. People always tell me to leave mine at home so I can go out with a smaller bag or no bag at all. I don't really know a solution to that though. Smaller reusable water bottles? You'll just have to fill them up more and I don't know if I'm into that...
But I'm down with the WaterFillz idea or just more water fountains under better maintenance in the city. I would bother baristas a lot less if that were the case.
The unit is situated in the Academic Quadrangle just in between the art gallery and theatre - blue with water bubbles on it. I have been using it every day and it tastes great - also there is a growing line up so I hope there are more soon...
Hmmm - opening a faucet in the washroom to fill a reuseable water bottle requires no electricity at all - but I guess in the age of the disposable electric toothbrush what do you expect? - everything needs a gltzy technological angle to it.
FILLING A WATER BOTTLE FROM A BATHROOM FAUCET - NOW THAT EVEN SOUNDS MORE APPETIZING THAN GAZING AT SPIT AND ?? IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DRINKING FOUNTAINS. FROM WHAT I CAN SEE THIS OFFERS US CHOICE - BATHROOM, FAUCET WITH ?? ATTACHED OR FRESH WATER - MINUS THE ENVIRO IMPACT OF PLASTIC BOTTLES.... YOUR CHOICE. NO ELECTRICITY - AT 46 WATTS OF POWER, THIS THING DOESN'T NEED MUCH - THAT RUNS ON LESS THAN A LIGHT BULB. OR OF COURSE YOU COULD CONTINUE TO DESTROY OUR EARTH AND JUST BUY BOTTLED AS WE HAVE BEEN SO CONVINCED TO DO OVER THE LAST 20 ODD YEARS... I HAVE USED IT - I THINK IT IS GREAT.