• Buy local!! Industrial agriculture is one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States today – so support your local farms!
• There is currently a shortfall of more than $22 billion per year between the funds available and what is needed to keep water safe for human and environmental health. The federal government has cut the main source of funding for clean water year after year. It's time to fill the funding gap with a trust fund, a dedicated funding source and sustained commitment to safe and affordable public water. Sign on to this statement to ask Congress to provide the funds needed to protect our water sources and keep our water clean and safe: Sign On »
• On July 15, 2009, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) introduced H.R.3202, which would create such a trust fund. While the bill is excellent in many respects, it should be strengthened to ensure public dollars go to public water systems, not to subsidize corporate profits of private water companies. By signing this petition, you can show your support for a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund that protects and strengthens our publicly owned water and wastewater systems. Show Your Support »
• There are many filters on the market today. The best way to know which one is right for you is to either have your water sent away and tested or buy an at home testing kit. Depending on the quality of water in your area you may want a point-of-entry filter (treats your water before it gets distributed through the house) or a point-of-use unit (faucet filters, countertop filters, pitcher filters, etc). You can also replace your office or home water cooler with a Bottle-less Water Cooler (also called Point-of-Use Water Coolers). These coolers plug right into your waterline and filter your water. You can still get hot and cold water the same way you did from your bottled water cooler minus the risk of BPA.

  We are big fans of Multi-Pure which offer a variety of filtration options and price points for your home and office. Consumers Digest has selected Multi-Pure’s Aqua Dome unit to be a BEST BUY in their August 2009 issue! This is the 3rd time in the past several years that a Multi-Pure system has been selected for this prestigious honor!

• Choose landscaping plants with low water requirements.
• Reduce your bottled water use! Take the pledge to only use bottled water when absolutely necessary. Take the pledge »
• Or become a fan of Get Off the Bottle on Facebook: Become a Fan »
• Sign the letter to Jennifer Aniston urging her to end her contract with Smart Water: Sign It »
• Sign the letter to Tom Brady urging him to end his contract with Smart Water: Sign It »
• Carry a refillable water container (we like Klean Kanteens) rather thanbuying bottled water. Production, transportation, and disposal of bottledwater consume large quantities of water (and energy). Buy It »
• You can actually conserve water by switching from the bottle to the tap.You can find out how the water quality in your area is here: EPA.gov »
• Pick a day of the week to go meat free! Animal production consumes an amount of water roughly equivalent to all other uses of water in the United States combined. Besides grains, animals need water to survive and grow until they are slaughtered. One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water, whereas a pound of soy requires 250 gallons of water and a pound of wheat only 25 gallons.
• Tell your local officials to put the repair of water infrastructure at the top of their agenda
• Take shorter showers. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month
• Invest in a low-flow toilet or put a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month. Turn off the water while you shave and save up to 300 gallons a month
• Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 150 gallons a month
• Run dishwashers or laundry machines only when full. Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors
• Use water left over from cooking for houseplants.
• Choose landscaping plants with low water requirements.
• Eat foods that require less water to produce. The amount of water used to produce animal products and processed foods like soda and chips far exceeds the amount used for growing vegetables and grains.
• When grocery shopping, try to buy more whole foods like vegetables that are in season, and a variety of grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
• Patronize businesses with sound water conservation practices.
• Find out if any of your local car wash establishments recycle their wash water, and give your business to the one with the best water conservation practices.
• Visit "Think Outside the Bottle," Corporate Accountability International's campaign working to challenge corporate control of water and promote, protect and ensure public funding for our public water systems.
• When you give your pet fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs
• When you have ice left in your cup from a take-out restaurant, don't throw it in the trash, dump it on a plant
• Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants
• When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather

Bottled water is the poster child for how profit-hungry corporations spend millions to convince consumers to buy an environmentally damaging product they don’t need. It’s a good entry point for talking about how some of these same corporations and many others are wasting and polluting water to produce food that’s contaminated with agricultural chemicals, as well as ingredients that make us fat and sick.

First, let me say, I’m not blaming farmers, who are held hostage by a food system that benefits the large corporations that control the way our food is produced and marketed. A tiny cabal of agribusinesses and food manufacturers have a stranglehold on every link of the food chain.
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