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I just got back from the co-op for a water run. My family has been doing the water dispenser system for about 8 years (which matches the age of my first daughter, whose birth coincided with our entry into eco-consciousness). So, after having tried a number of systems at different stores in different cities, I have to say the co-ops system rocks. Here’s why:

• Four spigots vs. the traditional one you find at the Glacier systems in front of Safeway and Albertson’s stores.
• The spigots are fast pouring, so you get in and out quickly (15 gallons/minute is faster than filling up for gas).
• You pay at the register, so you don’t have to bring a mint of quarters to pay for it.
• Plus, the water just tastes better. It has that clean, sweet taste that reminds me of camping in the Sierra’s as a kid and drinking water from the streams. I don’t think I’d drink stream water now from what I know about contamination.

Plastic Vs. Glass
We have three-five gallon jugs for our family of four, which lasts us about a week. Right now they are plastic which makes me a bit concerned on many levels (most of which are well articulated in this summary on the Grist blog) but primarily because its the kind of plastic that leaches bad stuff into the water. Micah just informed me that I can get glass bottles from the local brewery supply shop (he just finished his first batch of IPA). The only downside is the 5-gallon jugs are so heavy and they don’t have handles.

Stock Options
I’m always impressed by the people who bring their reused apple juice jugs and collection of miscellaneous water containers they’ve accumulated over time. But, by the time I got all those filled, my 2-year old would have toddled through every aisle, consumed a dozen olives from the olive bar, dumped cans of tomatoes from the shelves, greeted every other baby or child in the store, scattering bulk millet in her wake. Plus, where do you store all those miscellaneous shapes and sizes? We have a rack which holds not only the crock on top but two bottles underneath, so they are all in one space-saving spot where I can easily switch bottles.

At work, we get water delivered as well but we also have the plastic bottles (which get recycled) for visitors and guests or if people need to grab water to-go (most of us have our own re-usable bottles though). Neither have water as good as the co-op.

Tote-Able Water
Because our local tap water is so awful, I’ve taken to getting a large VOSS when I’m at restaurants. In my opinion, VOSS is one the best bottled waters on the market.

replace my Nalgenes with them. But again, the glass makes them heavy and breakable, and thus not very tote-functional. Just last week, we got some Klean Kanteens for the whole family which seems to be the best solution for to-go water. Stainless steel is light, durable, toxic-free and can be upcycled. Another more chic option are the Sigg bottles, which Levi got for his family the other day. It’s tough to drop some serious change for water bottles, but a good one will last a loooooong time and I think of it as an investment in my children’s health: if our bottles don’t get lost, my daughters will be packing theirs in their college backpack.

Eco-Urban Water Solutions for Housing
We’ve thought about how cool it would be to have a centralized water dispense system on one of our sites, along with eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Kinda like getting ice at a hotel. That kind of system seems to make the most sense with a mid-rise building; maybe when we find the right location, we’ll get to do this.

Jason