”DC tap water is a penny per gallon and bottled water costs 100 times more,” notes General Manager George S. Hawkins, adding “[i]f you choose to provide costly, environmentally harmful bottled water, we encourage you to at least provide attendees with a choice and also offer local DC tap water.”
Hawkins offers to provide free reusable water bottles and free water testing in congressional buildings.
While a treatment change by the system’s federal water suppliercaused lead to leach from pipes in many homes last decade, the chemistry has long since been readjusted and recent testing has indicated D.C. tap water is perfectly safe to drink.
In related news, the utility wants city residents to take the “D.C. Water Challenge” — that is, a series of blind taste tests challenging tasters to tell the difference between the bottled stuff and tap. More information on dates and locations can be found at dcwater.com.
By Mike DeBonis | 01:17 PM ET, 08/23/2012
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