A Restaurant Owner's Guide to Taking Back the Tap

8/14/2019 A Restaurant Owner's Guide to Taking Back the Tap

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A Restaurant

Owners Guide toTaking Back the Tap


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NowIstheTimeforRestaurantstoJoin

ConsumersasWeTakeBacktheTap

DearRestaurateur,

Intheinterestofprotectingourwaterresources,Fo

od&WaterWatch

invitesallrestaurantownerstojoinconsumersinanationaleffortto

kickthebottledwaterhabitandtakebackthetap.

U.S.citizensarewastingbillionsofdollarsayearonbillionsofga

llons

ofbottledwater,atleastinpartbecausetheythinkitishealthiero

rsafer

thanitscounterpartfromthetap.Itisnot.Infact,manybottlingc

om-

paniesgettheirwaterstraightfrompublicwatersupplies,andth

ensell

itatapricemanytimeshigherthantapwater.Meanwhile,thepro

duc-

tion,transportationandconsumptionoftheplasticbottlesburnsfossil

fuels,generatesmountainsofwasteandtaxesouralreadyoverburdened

publicwatersystems.

In2008,thecityofSanFranciscopartneredwithFood&WaterW

atch

ontheTakeBacktheTapcampaignthaturgesrestaurantstohold

the

bottledwaterand,instead,serveonlytapwater.Now,restaurant

sacross

thecountryarejoiningthemovementbypledgingtoeliminatebo

ttled

waterfromtheirmenus.

Thisguidewillexplainwhyconsumersacrossthecountryarekicki

ngthe

bottledwaterhabitandhowyou,asarestaurantowner,cangetin

volved.

Thankyouforyourinterest,andwehopethatyouwilljoinusino

uref-

fortstoprovideclean,affordablewaterforall.

Sincerely,

WenonahHauter

ExecutiveDirector

Food&WaterWatch


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Take Back the Tap Pledge

As a chef, general manager and/or restaurant owner, I pledge that our

business will: Eliminatethesaleofnon-carbonatedbottledwater; Servemunicipaltapwater; Whenasked,explaintocustomersandstaffthebenetsoftap

overbottledwater.

BUSINESS __________________________________________

CONTACT __________________________________________

TITLE _____________________________________________

PHONE ____________________ FAX ____________________

EMAIL _____________________________________________

STREET ____________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP _____________________________________

Fax to: 202-683-2484 (DC) or 415-293-9912 (CA).For more info, contact Food & Water Watch: 202-683-2500 (DC),

415-293-9900 (CA) or [email protected] (DC),[email protected] (CA)

www.takebackthetap.org www.foodandwaterwatch.org

Participating restaurants will be

added to our nationwide direc-toryofnon-carbonatedbottledwater-freerestaurantsonwww.takebackthetap.org,andreceiveacerticateofparticipationandaTakeBacktheTapwindowsticker.

BACK

www.takebackthetap.org


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Why consumers across the country arebreaking the bottled water habit

In 2007, U.S. consumers wasted $12 billion on nearly 9 billion gallons of

bottled water, in large part because advertising spin has led them to be-lieve that water in a bottle is safer or better than tap water. It is not.

Bottled water is not safer than tap water

Tap water in the United States is just as safe as bottled water, and inmany cases more so. The federal government requires far more rigorousand frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water

than bottled water. The Environmental Protection Agency, which regu-lates tap water, requires that utility companies test municipal water hun-dreds of times per month, while the Food & Drug Administration, whichregulates bottled water, requires only one water test per week by bottlingcompanies.

Meanwhile, independent testing has found arsenic, microbes, toxicchemicals and other pollutants in various brands of bottled water. A2008 report suggests that bottled water is no safer or purer than tap wa-ter. Environmental Working Groups laboratory tests of 10 popular U.S.

bottled water brands found mixtures of 38 different pollutants, includingbacteria, fertilizer, Tylenol and industrial chemicals. Many researchersbelieve that phthalates, which are chemicals used to soften plastic, canleach from plastic bottles into the water they contain. Phthalates andother substances used to make plastic have been linked to birth defects,cancer and developmental problems in humans.


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2 Tap Water in San Francisco Restaurants: A How-To Guide

Bottled water is far moreexpensive than tap water

Although bottled water is not supe-rior to tap water, it is far more ex-pensive. On a per-gallon basis, tap

water costs about $0.002, whilebottled water costs $0.89 to $8.26.

Since as much as 40 percent ofbottled water comes straight fromthe same water supplies as water

from the tap, this amounts to pay-ing up to 4,000 times more for theexact same product.

Bottled watercauses social andenvironmental problems

that tap water does notBottled water causes many equityand environmental problems. Al-ready, public water systems in theUnited States are facing challengesproviding affordable water fortheir citizens.

When beverage companies takewater from municipal or under-ground sources and charge exor-

bitant prices for it, they are mak-ing profits off of water that localpeople need.

Meanwhile, the production and

transportation of plastics takesa significant toll on the environ-ment. U.S. plastic bottle produc-tion requires more than 17 mil-lion barrels of oil, enough to fuel100,000 cars.

In this day with all theinformation we have

on bottled water, itmakes no sense to buybottled water. The cost

factor is obvious. Plusthe fact that youre not

polluting the planet withadditional plastic. Its

a no-brainer. We havea filtration system hereand its something that

I think the customerappreciates.

Paul Turley, owner

Turleys

Boulder, CO: Turleys

Turleyshasprovidedcasual,healthy food to residents of

Boulder,Colorado,formorethan30years.Servingtapwaterwasano-brainerforthis restaurant that sellshormone-andantibiotic-freemeats,cage-freeeggsandorganicproduce.


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3Food & Water Watch

The industrial processes emit toxicchemicals, while the transportadds more pollution and carbonemissions that contribute to globalclimate change. In the end, the 86percent of the empty plastic bottlesin the United States that are notrecycled end up as mountains ofplastic trash that will be sitting inlandfills for years to come.

Taking Back theTap in restaurantsacross the nation

Many restaurant owners across thecountry have decided that selling

bottled water just isnt worth theextra profit.

Larry Mindel, whose restaurantPoggio in Sausalito, Californiaserves only filtered tap water,shared his thoughts with the Asso-ciated Press:

Even though he could charge din-

ers double or triple what he paysfor water, he said it gives him astab to pay so much or chargeothers for something that fallsfrom the sky.

And according to Mike Kossa-Rienzi, general manager of Chez

Panisse in California, in the samenews article: We just decided this

was something we had to do. It justmakes sense to us to not have touse all the energy and resources to

bottle water in Italy and then truck

We have always served

Ithaca tap water,investing in a filtrationsystem six years agoand doing away withbottled water. In ourcontinuing efforts tominimize our ecological

footprint, we now servefiltered carbonatedwater as an alternativeto bottled sparklingwater. We even remindcustomers on our menuthat tap water is more

eco-friendly. Laura Branca,

co-owner Moosewood

Ithaca, NY:Moosewood

Moosewood Restaurantopened its doors in 1973 at atime when natural foods andcuisine was in its infancy intheUnitedStates.Theyhavebeen instrumental in bringingnaturalfoodswithavegetar-ian emphasis into the main-stream.Moosewoodhasbeen

a strong supporter of localfarmers and local productssinceitsinception.


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it to our restaurant and then afterthat deal with the recycling of it.

Laura Branca, co-owner of the re-nowned Moosewood Restaurant inIthaca, New York, believes restau-rants can be models for sustainablepractices. Moosewood continuesto advocate for ecological aware-ness. We consistently try to ac-knowledge and minimize negativeenvironmental impacts when mak-

ing business decisions. We believethe hospitality industry can leadthe way toward sustainable busi-ness practice.

Restaurants in New York, LosAngeles, Albuquerque, Ann Ar-bor, Madison, Boulder, Ithaca,

Northampton, Memphis, Omaha,and Durango are pledging not toserve bottled water as well.

Offering our guestscomplimentary filtered

San Francisco waterwith their meal com-

bines the best of gener-ous hospitality, care

for our surroundings,and authentic local fla-vor. What we sacrificein profits by not sell-ing bottled water, we

more than make up inincreased goodwill withour guests.

Mark Pastore,owner Incanto

San Francisco, CA:Incanto

Incanto is an Italian restau-rantinSanFranciscosNoeValleyneighborhood.Sinceitopened in June of 2002, In-cantohasexclusivelyservedSanFranciscotapwater:l-tered,chilled,andservedei-therstillorsparklinginreus-ableone-litercarafes.Incanto

madethedecisiontoserveSanFranciscowaterinsteadof imported bottled watersbecauseiteliminatesanawk-ward moment for guests andbecauseservinglocalwatergoeshand-in-handwithserv-inglocallygrownfood.


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5Food & Water Watch

Serving ltered tapwater?

Many restaurants prefer to filterthe tap water to improve its tasteor to allay the fears of customers

who may worry about tap watersafety. This may not be necessaryin all locations. Restaurant ownerscan educate themselves and theircustomers about their local water

sources and quality by obtainingthe Annual Water Quality Reportfrom their local utility. This reportdetails local tap water sources andtesting results.

Depending on the specific con-cerns regarding the tap water,

commercial-grade water filters areavailable that use many differenttechnologies, including calcite/carbon blends, Granular ActivatedCarbon (GAC) hexametaphosphatecrystals, KDF media, UV light andreverse osmosis. These technolo-gies use different techniques to

remove particles or kill germs,and some are more effective forcertain filtering needs than oth-ers. Whatever technology the filteruses, the most important informa-tion for you to know is whether theparticular product you are using isappropriate to filter the substances

you want to remove.

When looking for quality filters,it is important to make sure thatthe product has been tested by anindependent certifying agency.National Sanitation Foundation

We made the decisionto serve tap waterbecause we wanted toserve the purest water

possible. The process

of eliminating bottledwater from the menuwas easy. It is hardto trust what youare getting in bottledwater, and we felt like

filtering our own was

the best way to provideour customers with the

purest water possible.Making the decision toserve solely tap waterhas also significantlydiminished the amount

of waste generated byour business.

Ondine Appel, EventManager at Il Buco

New York City, NY:Il Buco

IlBucoisanItalianMediter-ranean restaurant located inManhattansNOHODistrict.IlBucohasbeenservingtapwateroverbottledwaterforthepast10years.


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International (NSF), Water Qual-ity Association, and UnderwritersLaboratories Inc. are three well-regarded organizations that test

and verify water treatment andfiltration product claims.

Other factors to consider whenpurchasing a filter include the ca-pacity of the filter, water efficiency(reverse osmosis filters are less

water efficient than carbon filters),

and hidden costs, such as instal-lation, maintenance, and replace-ment filter fees. In addition, manyfilters are sold specifically for use

with restaurant equipment such asicemakers, coffee makers and sodamachines.

Some research may be necessaryto determine what water filter bestsuits your restaurants needs. Youcan always contact a local waterfiltration and purification installa-tion company for advice and priceestimates. Just make sure to verifylicensing and certifications of wa-ter distribution operators, and be

aware that the equipment mayrequire extra maintenance and in-stallation costs.

Our focus here atHiggins is to choose thefreshest local, seasonaland sustainable

products as the basis forour cuisine. By doingso we maximize thebenefit to our bodies,our communities andour environment. Whenit comes to choosingour drinking water theonly sensible choice isobviousgood old Bull

Run from the tap.

Greg Higgins,Higgins Restaurant &

Bar

Portland, OR:Higgins Restaurant &Bar

Afavoriteofbusinessdinersas well as gourmands, theupscale downtown PortlandbistrodeliverselegantlysimpleNorthwesternfarethat is made from fresh andlocalingredientswheneverpossible.


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7Food & Water Watch

Common Questions and Answers AboutTap Water

Q: Where does my tap water come from?A: You can easily find the source/s of your municipalitys tap water byreading your water quality report, also known as a Consumer ConfidenceReport. This report, released every year, describes the source of your tap

water. It is distributed to municipal water users in the mail, and can alsobe found on your water departments website.

Q: How do I know whether the tap water is safe?

A: Tap water is tested thousands of times each year to ensure it meets(or exceeds) all federal standards. The Environmental Protection Agencyrequires that all utilities provide an Annual Water Quality Report listingthe test results for all federally regulated contaminants. According to theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, each year over 90 percent of all

water systems meet or exceed standards for tap water quality.

Q: Can a filter remove chlorine and fluoride?

A: When it comes to chlorine, the answer is yes. Most water filters re-move or reduce this chemical disinfectant. (Chlorine will also dissipateout of water when it is exposed to air.) On the other hand, fluoride ismore of a challenge. Typically, only reverse osmosis filters and distilla-tion units reduce or remove it.

Q: Tap water tastes funny. What can you do about that?A: An odd flavor does not necessarily mean water is unhealthy or con-taminated. The taste could be due to older plumbing, chlorination orthe mineral content in the water. If you suspect it may be chlorine, acommon complaint, try leaving an uncovered pitcher of the water in therefrigerator overnight. This will reduce the chlorine taste. For all otherconcerns, a filtration system is the best solution to this problem.

Resources

For more detailed and in-depth information about the issues withbottled water and the benefits of tap water, read our report Take Backthe Tap: Why Choosing Tap Water Over Bottled Water is Better forYour Health, Your Pocketbook, and the Environment, available at

www.takebackthetap.org.


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Main Office1616 P St. NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20036

tel: (202) 683-2500

fax: (202) [email protected]

California Office25 Stillman Street, Suite 200

San Francisco, CA 94107tel: (415) 293-9900

fax: (415) [email protected]

www.foodandwaterwatch.org

A Restaurant Owner's Guide to Taking Back the Tap

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