Page 14 - Mar/April 2016 Vol.33No.7
P. 14
TENNESSEE CLEAN WATER NETWORK By Patrick Lindsey
Tap Into a Healthy Alternative
Sugar-sweetened beverages are a “Tennessee has more than 500 public water systems providing
leading cause of obesity and associated cost-effective and quality drinking water across the state.”
health problems across the nation. The
State of Obesity ranked Tennessee’s Tisha Calabrese Benton, Director of the Division of Water Resources.
obesity rate at 31 percent in 2014,
coming in at 14 out of 51 for states with An article in The New York Times states Environment and Conservation’s
highest obesity rates, and the state’s that ounce for ounce, bottled water costs Division of Water Resources understands
rate of medically-defined overweight more than gasoline, and depending on the importance of providing clean
individuals was even higher. Tennessee the brand, it can cost 250 to 10,000 times water to the citizens of Tennessee.
also had the second highest rate of more than tap water. The article adds “Tennessee has more than 500 public
diabetes in the U.S. in 2014, at 13 percent that globally, bottled water is now a $46 water systems providing cost-effective
of the state’s population. billion dollar industry. In this case, being and quality drinking water across the
healthy and saving money go hand in state. As the state’s primary regulatory
A Center for Disease Control National hand. agent for ensuring the requirements of
Diabetes Prevention study recently the Safe Drinking Water Act, TDEC’s
showed that replacing just one sugar- Since the program began in 2013, Division of Water Resources provides
sweetened beverage per day with water the Tennessee Clean Water Network’s oversight of these public drinking water
could decrease the obesity epidemic Director of Community Health Programs systems and sees firsthand the hard
for 90 percent of the population. The Kimberly Pettigrew has stressed how work and dedication exercised daily to
Tennessee Department of Health recently important schools are in the effort to provide a safe and healthy water supply
partnered with the Tennessee Clean slow the trend of childhood obesity. She to Tennessee,” said Tisha Calabrese
Water Network to make drinking water describes the strategy by saying, “By Benton, Director of the Division of Water
more readily available through a program providing access to drinking water across Resources.
called Bringing Tap Back. the state, and including educational
campaigns at schools, tabling events, and Tennessee is the only state in the
The initiative installs public drinking using social media, Bringing Tap Back country that has implemented a program
water bottle refill stations in schools, is creating healthier communities for to install drinking water refill stations.
universities, parks, and public spaces. It decades to come.” To date, the Bringing Tap Back initiative
is funded by the Tennessee Department has installed 65 water fountains in public
of Health’s Project Diabetes grant The Bringing Tap Back project is places around the state, with an overall
program, a statewide initiative that focusing upcoming efforts on securing goal of installing at least one fountain in
supports primary prevention projects funding to install fountains in schools. all 95 of the State’s counties. Increasing
that halt the increasing rate of obesity in Student education will be provided in access to drinking water makes being
Tennessee. addition to the fountains, with the goal of healthy just a little bit easier, and both
positively influencing future generations your body and the environment will
Drinking water bottle refill stations to make healthier choices. thank you.
also enable Tennesseans to reduce the
number of disposable plastic bottles used The Tennessee Department of
each day. By providing an alternative to
purchasing single use water bottles, a
large amount of plastic is diverted from
the waste stream. It is estimated that 80
percent of single use water bottles end up
as litter, and according to the Container
Recycling Institute, more than 60 million
plastic bottles end up in landfills and
incinerators every day—a total of 22
billion last year.
The process of manufacturing plastic
water bottles is inefficient; it is estimated
that every 1-liter bottle of water
manufactured requires 1.39 liters of
water to produce. These numbers mean
that it takes more water to make the
bottle than is actually contained in the
bottle.
There is also a financial upside to
drinking tap water in reusable bottles.
14 TPW March/April 2016
Tap Into a Healthy Alternative
Sugar-sweetened beverages are a “Tennessee has more than 500 public water systems providing
leading cause of obesity and associated cost-effective and quality drinking water across the state.”
health problems across the nation. The
State of Obesity ranked Tennessee’s Tisha Calabrese Benton, Director of the Division of Water Resources.
obesity rate at 31 percent in 2014,
coming in at 14 out of 51 for states with An article in The New York Times states Environment and Conservation’s
highest obesity rates, and the state’s that ounce for ounce, bottled water costs Division of Water Resources understands
rate of medically-defined overweight more than gasoline, and depending on the importance of providing clean
individuals was even higher. Tennessee the brand, it can cost 250 to 10,000 times water to the citizens of Tennessee.
also had the second highest rate of more than tap water. The article adds “Tennessee has more than 500 public
diabetes in the U.S. in 2014, at 13 percent that globally, bottled water is now a $46 water systems providing cost-effective
of the state’s population. billion dollar industry. In this case, being and quality drinking water across the
healthy and saving money go hand in state. As the state’s primary regulatory
A Center for Disease Control National hand. agent for ensuring the requirements of
Diabetes Prevention study recently the Safe Drinking Water Act, TDEC’s
showed that replacing just one sugar- Since the program began in 2013, Division of Water Resources provides
sweetened beverage per day with water the Tennessee Clean Water Network’s oversight of these public drinking water
could decrease the obesity epidemic Director of Community Health Programs systems and sees firsthand the hard
for 90 percent of the population. The Kimberly Pettigrew has stressed how work and dedication exercised daily to
Tennessee Department of Health recently important schools are in the effort to provide a safe and healthy water supply
partnered with the Tennessee Clean slow the trend of childhood obesity. She to Tennessee,” said Tisha Calabrese
Water Network to make drinking water describes the strategy by saying, “By Benton, Director of the Division of Water
more readily available through a program providing access to drinking water across Resources.
called Bringing Tap Back. the state, and including educational
campaigns at schools, tabling events, and Tennessee is the only state in the
The initiative installs public drinking using social media, Bringing Tap Back country that has implemented a program
water bottle refill stations in schools, is creating healthier communities for to install drinking water refill stations.
universities, parks, and public spaces. It decades to come.” To date, the Bringing Tap Back initiative
is funded by the Tennessee Department has installed 65 water fountains in public
of Health’s Project Diabetes grant The Bringing Tap Back project is places around the state, with an overall
program, a statewide initiative that focusing upcoming efforts on securing goal of installing at least one fountain in
supports primary prevention projects funding to install fountains in schools. all 95 of the State’s counties. Increasing
that halt the increasing rate of obesity in Student education will be provided in access to drinking water makes being
Tennessee. addition to the fountains, with the goal of healthy just a little bit easier, and both
positively influencing future generations your body and the environment will
Drinking water bottle refill stations to make healthier choices. thank you.
also enable Tennesseans to reduce the
number of disposable plastic bottles used The Tennessee Department of
each day. By providing an alternative to
purchasing single use water bottles, a
large amount of plastic is diverted from
the waste stream. It is estimated that 80
percent of single use water bottles end up
as litter, and according to the Container
Recycling Institute, more than 60 million
plastic bottles end up in landfills and
incinerators every day—a total of 22
billion last year.
The process of manufacturing plastic
water bottles is inefficient; it is estimated
that every 1-liter bottle of water
manufactured requires 1.39 liters of
water to produce. These numbers mean
that it takes more water to make the
bottle than is actually contained in the
bottle.
There is also a financial upside to
drinking tap water in reusable bottles.
14 TPW March/April 2016
