A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-11, regarding the feasibility of eliminating the use of plastic water bottles at City and School events

To: Louie DePasquale, City Manager From; Sam Corda, Managing Director, Water Department Jim Maloney, Chief Operating Officer, School Department and Owen O’ Riordan, Commissioner of Public Works. June 19, 2019 AR-19-11 Report on the feasibility of eliminating the use of plastic water bottles at City and School events. The City of Cambridge conducts public events daily throughout the city. Given the time of day associated with many of these events, they typically include food snacks and beverages, be the beverages coffee, tea, soft drinks or water. The soft drinks and water are typically provided in plastic bottles. It is also typically the case in these events that recycling options are available to participants, however, it is recognized that moving forward additional efforts will be required to reduce/eliminate the consumption of water and soft drinks from single use plastic containers. It should be said that the City has been addressing the reduction /elimination of bottled water for many years. The Water Department together with the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) started promoting using tap water with the slogan “Cambridge Water, Wicked Good” about 5 years ago. This program is still on-going. In furtherance of this effort, the City continues the installation of water bottle filling stations at school and other city buildings and outdoor spaces across the city. The School Department has installed water bottle filling stations at all the school buildings except the Morse School and is planning to have the Morse updated this summer (2019). Moving forward the Schools will use signage to inform meeting participants of the fill station and water bubbler locations and is reviewing steps to eliminate single use bottled water in response to both city council and school committee resolutions. Specific to other municipal buildings;

At this time there are 97 “Quench” fill stations and 7 “Elkey” bubblers and bottle fill stations installed in other city buildings, across the city. The expectation is that approximately another 20 stations need to be installed at a cost of approximately $40,000 before every municipal building has one or more water bottle filling station in place. Additional survey work will be required to determine whether all the various buildings used for public meetings etc. have stations that are both available and accessible to those who attend events and additional installations may be required to provide such. Outdoor Events There are numerous outdoor events held by various city departments throughout the year where food and beverages are typically made available to attendees; Some of the major events include: • Danehy Park Day. • The Cambridge Arts Council, River Fest. • Cambridge Water Department, Fresh Pond Day and Water Week school children event. • Community Development Department (CDD) Parking Day. • Department of Human Services DHSP Hoops for Health. • Department of Human Services DHSP Summer Basketball League. • Department of Public Works, Public Works Week Cookout. • Department of Public Works Construction Meetings.

It has been the tradition during some of these events that bottled water is made available to attendees or participants. However, the City is committed to working to a circumstance where the need for bottled water is minimized in the future and where alternative water supply via water filling stations or during large events using the MWRA water buggy (which is presently used during Fresh Pond day and during River Fest) are available.