Water bottle consumption at UMD

Abstract

Water is increasingly being seen as a saleable commodity, despite its vital importance to life, and is in turn fueling an unsustainable industry. Our research describes the energy, economic, and environmental costs involved with bottled water. It is our goal to greatly reduce bottled water consumption at UMD. This goal is realistic because of the university?s vicinity to one of the largest freshwater sources in the world, Lake Superior. We conducted a blind water taste test to analyze current water bottle trends on campus, interviewed various representatives in areas relevant to the topic, and researched what other universities have done to decrease water bottle usage. Our conclusion is that water bottle usage is mostly a convenience issue, and we suggest methods to dispel this by encouraging sustainable water practices among incoming freshmen and increasing overall awareness throughout the university.