May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 38

C O N S E R VAT I O N

The Problem with Bottled Water
By Richard J. Dolesh

B

ottled water in parks - it's so convenient to have handy. It provides
an easily portable method of hydration for park visitors when there
is no potable water supply available. It's much healthier for people to
drink water instead of sugar-laden soft drinks. Bottled water solves all kinds
of problems when it comes to supplying safe, healthy drinking water to park
users. What's not to like about bottled drinking water? Plenty, according to a
collection of national conservation and health organizations.
So, Just What Is the Problem?
First, putting drinking water into
disposable plastic bottles consumes an enormous amount of
energy to produce, package and
transport. The energy consumed is
estimated to be the equivalent of
more than 17 million barrels of oil
annually. The Riverkeeper, a national conservation organization
based in New York, compares the
energy needed to transport, chill
and collect empty disposable bottles to be equivalent to filling each
bottle one-quarter full of oil. Sec-

36

Parks & Recreation

ond, the production of disposable
plastic water bottles uses nearly 3
million tons of PET (polyethylene
terephthalate) plastic per year.
But wait, there's more. While the
bottles are touted as being fully recyclable, more than 85 percent of
empty plastic water bottles end up
in landfills, or worse, are incinerated, releasing toxic chemicals into
the air. Discarded disposable water
bottles are the unwelcome byproduct of bottled water, and our parks,
streets and rivers become the recipient of a large percentage of these

| M AY 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

disposable bottles, causing environmental impacts to natural resources
and unsightly public spaces.
The vast majority of bottled water
is considered safe, but there are some
nagging questions raised about the
health implications of bottled water.
A study by the Natural Resources
Defense Council found some samples of 103 bottled water brands tested violated strict state water-quality
standards for chemical or bacterial
contamination. More recently, a concern has grown about the presence
of phthalates, a suspected endocrine
disrupter found in the plastic of water
bottles. Some believe that pthalates
might leach into the drinking water.
There Is an Alternative
Proponents of using public and municipal drinking water instead of
bottled water note that the cost of



May 2014 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2014 - Parks & Recreation

May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 1
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 2
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 3
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 4
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 5
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 6
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 7
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 8
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 9
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 10
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 11
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 12
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 13
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 14
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 15
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 16
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 17
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 18
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 19
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 20
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 21
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 22
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 23
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 24
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 25
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 26
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 27
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 28
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 29
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 30
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 31
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 32
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 33
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 34
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 35
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 36
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 37
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 38
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 39
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 40
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 41
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 42
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 43
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 44
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 45
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 46
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 47
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 48
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 49
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 50
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 51
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 52
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 53
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 54
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 55
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 56
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 57
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 58
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 59
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 60
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 61
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 62
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 63
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 64
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 65
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 66
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 67
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 68
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 69
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 70
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 71
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 72
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 73
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 74
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 75
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 76
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 77
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 78
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 79
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 80
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 81
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 82
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 83
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 84
May 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 85
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com