Thompson Rivers University
IN-25: Innovation B

The TRU Sustainability Office has conducted The Tap Water Challenge for students during the last 4 years. It is an initiative that is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of drinking local Kamloops tap water instead of buying bottled water. The benefits include less waste of plastic bottles; less energy used (in the production, transport, refrigeration and warehousing of bottled water); saving money (tap waste is virtually free for students); and greater convenience, since there are taps and water bottle refill stations throughout campus. In the challenge, students do a blind taste test comparing a cup of tap water and a cup of one of several leading brands of bottled water. They answer two questions after tasting each one: which one tastes better, and which one they think is tap water. Regardless of their answers, they receive a free quality stainless steel water bottle that they can use at the many water bottle refill stations or taps around campus . In 2014, 70% of respondents preferred the taste of tap water, and 63% correctly identified it as tap water.