Water You Thinking?

Philly Tap puts Schuylkill punch in the palm of your hand.

by Deidre Wengen

During sweltering summer months, you see the labels everywhere. They litter the streets, top off garbage cans, blur past in the hands of joggers: Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Fiji, Philly Tap.

Philly Tap? That's not a misprint, nor a practical joke (though it is kind of funny). Since early 2006, the Philadelphia Water Department has been bottling tap water for free use at public outdoor events in hopes that it will bring people back to their faucets.

Bottling and distributing tap water may be new, but according to Drew Brown, manager of public education programs, the water department has been kicking around the idea for a while.

"There were a lot of people thinking about it within the department for the past 30 years," says Brown. "We were trying to serve our customers at public events where there was no supply of ready drinking water."

Originally, the department used sterilized tanks on wheels called "water buffaloes" to distribute the water as a public service, but eventually found that it was more cost-effective to simply bottle it and have organizations pick it up at their maintenance headquarters at 29th and Cambria streets.

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In 2006, approximately 150 nonprofit organizations � religious organizations, the park system, government campaigning, youth programs and literacy organizations � took advantage of the Philly Tap program. However, there is still some confusion regarding the water department's decision to bottle tap water. Brown's theory is that people are still not aware of the program. "We're not selling it. We're not putting it in a corner store," said Brown. "There is certainly an awareness that has to grow around the program, but overall the reaction has been good."

While knowledge of Philly Tap has yet to reach the masses, the bottled-versus-tap issue is nothing new to Philadelphia, thanks to the work of an organization called Corporate Accountability International. CAI believes the bottled water industry is swindling people out of their basic human rights to safe drinking water, and supports the use of municipal water systems. They have many activists in the Philadelphia area and last year offered the Tap Water Challenge (yes, it's exactly like the Pepsi Challenge) to promote drinking tap over bottled. Although CAI never really considered bottling tap water and was unaware of the Philly Tap program, Patti Lynn, campaigns director for CAI, thinks it is "an interesting idea." "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how the whole thing plays out," says Lynn.

By now, most people know that tap water is safe to drink, especially in Philadelphia, where it is treated several times a day and meets all EPA standards. But what about the taste? Brown admits that tap water often does taste different than bottled water due to the chlorine used as a disinfectant. "We've been tweaking our treatment over about the last 20 years," says Brown, "and I think people are noticing the difference." Before bottling the water, it is treated again in order to guarantee its two-year shelf life. And if you plan on serving Philly Tap at an event, the water department stresses one very important rule of taste. "We do stipulate that our product is [best] served chilled," says Brown.

To receive Philly Tap, you can call PWD's customer information center at 215-685-6300 and make a request at least two weeks prior to an event. If approved, the bottles should be picked up at the maintenance center at 29th and Cambria. If picking up large quantities, be prepared for some heavy lifting. "At 26.4 pounds per [24-bottle] case, pickup may not be as easy as it sounds," figures Brown. Also, the water department asks that you properly dispose of the plastic bottles when they are finished. "We want people to recycle," said Brown. PWD may also provide Philly Tap to customers whose water service is temporarily interrupted due to a water main break or maintenance activity. Block parties are not eligible for the program.

Brown says that the water department will continue to distribute Philly Tap as long as it is cost-effective and there is a public need for it. And although the program is not primarily used as a promotional tool, Brown hopes that Philly Tap will revive some trust in the city's municipal water system. "It is our hope that the information on the label of Philly Tap bottles, and the experience of drinking it, will lead people to the conclusion that their tap water is safe and healthy to drink."

(d_wengen@citypaper.net)