 "Photo: Kim Espinosa")
"Keep Austin Weird" has become a universal slogan for Austinites. "Keep Austin's Water Public?" Some activists hope that comes next.
Representatives from the watchdog group Corporate Accountability International on Friday hosted "Think Outside the Bottle," an event protesting bottled water.
The protest at West Mall was cut short when Cindy Braly, associate director of student activities and leadership involvement, said the event violated University rules. It was unclear if the group was a registered student organization or if a student was in charge, as mandated by UT rules, she said.
But the event lasted long enough for the group to get its message across.
"Corporations are spending millions of bucks trying to convince people that bottled water is good for us," said Daniel Gradess, an organization member.
The group wants to keep Austin's water public and out of corporate control, Gradess said.
A few members of the organization set up a table to conduct a water taste test. Participants received four cups of water, one filled with tap water and the remaining three cups filled with a different brand of bottled water. Participants then guessed which cup had which water.
"These bottled waters are indistinguishable in quality from tap water," former UT professor John Williams said after taking the taste test.
Between 25 percent and 40 percent of bottled water is bottled tap water, according to a study done by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington environmental think tank.
"These bottled water companies are making a lot of money by hoodwinking the public into thinking their water is cleaner and purer," Williams said.
By 2025, about two thirds of the population won't have access to clean water, according to a United Nations World Water Development Report released in 2003.
Control of water should be maintained by democratic institutions and not The Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo Inc., Gradess said, referring to the bottlers of Dasani and Aquafina.
Bottled water companies don't have stringent water regulations whereas municipal systems do, he said.
Another goal of this campaign is to get students and community organizations involved, Gradess said.
Participant Michael McMillin, a business and Plan II senior, said he didn't notice a difference. However, he guessed each cup correctly.
"It's the same difference whether Coca-Cola is purifying your water or the city of Austin is purifying your water," McMillin said.
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