2ND PLACE WINNER, GRADES 6-8
Isabelle Thibault, Grade 7
Ms. Wenham, Teacher / McGlynn Middle School, Medford

"Throttle the Bottle, Turn up the Tap"

I was nervous, but I was excited. I was getting ready to put forward an idea to my advertising company. Some people would disagree, but it was true and definitely necessary to know.

I was about to propose that tap water was safer, cleaner, less expensive and healthier than bottled water. People started to fIle in to the room where I was to speak. They sat down and settled in. I looked over my note cards one last time and then began.

"Water is a necessary part of life for every being on Earth. Some people, who have always had water and always will, overlook water's importance and what impact they may be making."

"Americans, like me and you, who have an abundance of water, bottle and tap, don't realize how bottled water can be wasteful and sometimes unsanitary. There have been major public relation campaigns launched to convince the public that bottled water is safer, purer, and overall better, than tap water. But really, tap water is cheap, healthy, and safe and it has little environmental impact."

I looked around, everyone was staring, no one seemed to oppose.

"If you ask around, most people buy bottled water because they are under the impression that it is cleaner and safe. Tap water, regulated by the EPA, compared to bottled water, regulated by the FDA, is actually much safer and cleaner."

"It is required that tap water be filtered and disinfected and cannot have E. coli or fecal bacteria. Bottled water on the other hand, does not have filtration or disinfectants required and a certain amount of any bacteria is allowed.

The NRDC's study (Natural Resources Defense Council), conducted over a five year period, confirmed that bottled water was not any safer or cleaner than tap water. Tap water is regulated often and frequently tested while the results must be reported to state or federal officials. Bottled water has no such tests or reports. Tap water has been proven to be clean and safe."

I took a deep breath, this was going well.

"Bottled water is also wasteful," I said.

"In 2006, we, as Americans, threw way 38 billion plastic bottles. That is enough bottles to circle the earth 150 times. And, with 38 billion plastic bottles, each taking up to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill, we are rapidly polluting the land we live on."

"In 2007, the Untied States alone spent 7 billion dollars on bottled water. For every dollar that was wasted on bottled water, a child could have clean drinking water, where water is scarce, for 40 days. This would reduce the child mortality rate because unclean and unavailable drinking water is the world's second largest killer of children under the age of five with more than 5,000 kids dying each day."

I think I was finally getting to them. Some had their mouths hanging open taking in the facts, others just looked stunned.

"Tap water only cost pennies a day for as much water as needed and comes with natural minerals like calcium and iron and has added fluoride. Bottled water has the natural minerals removed and there is no fluoride which prevents cavities, so dentist are seeing them more and more often in children at very young ages."

I smiled.

"It is cheap and readily available. You can just go to your sink and have hot or cold water instantly."

I was now preparing my advertising slogan. My hands were sweaty and I was feeling nervous again.

"The citizens of America and the people of the world should know the truth about tap water. We want the people know that tap water is safe, clean, cheap, and healthy. I came up with an advertising slogan".

Here it goes, I thought.

"Throttle the Bottle, Turn up the tap."

A few people cheered, mostly everyone clapped, and I was done, my job was complete.

I went on to propose that any money that could be raised from a public relations campaign promoting tap water, not bottled, would be sent to charities so everyone could have clean and healthy drinking water much like the Tap Project designed by UNICEF.

2008 was going to be the year -- the year that plastic bottles would be used less and less, so our landfills could reduce in size. It would be the year that less and less money would be spent on bottled water and used on more needy causes. It would be the year that fresh clear water would be available to everyone with fluoride and calcium. This was going to be the year that tap water would make a comeback!

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