A judge at the Newburyport High School science fair on February 28, I spent some time with students Bria Boschetto and Sadie Cathcart who led me through their hypothesis and experiments in an exhibit called, “The Cosmetics of Water.”
Bria and Sadie compared the chlorine and pH levels of tap water, Brita-filtered tap water, refrigerator-filtered tap water, and bottled water, and asked which water was cleaner and cost effective.
The bottled water was most expensive, regardless of brand. And the chlorine and pH levels in bottled water is not much different than tap water. The tap water was cleanest, but because piping systems are typically old, the result is dirtier water. But, a Brita filter, performing more efficient than a refrigerator filter, removed all the “dirt” while maintaining proper levels.
Thus, the students reasoned, a glass of Newburyport tap water, via a Brita filter, is the cleanest and cheapest.
I graded the girls an “A.”
In today’s Boston Globe, this story talks about 80 Boston restaurants which no longer offer bottled water to their patrons. Restaurant owners cite empty bottles produce waste, not to mention the costs in manufacturing, shipping, and purchasing the bottles in the first place.
At a Harvard Square restaurant, for instance, the menu includes a note that bottled water is “[n]ot sold here because plastic bottles are BAD BAD BAD for the environment and that water is really no better than tap water.”
Bria and Sadie were on to something, and I’d like to see them pitch their findings to the community at-large.
Related posts:
Comments:
Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
978-558-0008
ConvoTrack
Comments on this entry are closed.