Not bottled water reimbursement begins Feb. 1

submitted by greena@augsburg.edu

The first phase of implementing our Policy on Bottled Water, approved in May 2017, was to eliminate bottled water from on-campus catering (Thanks, A’Viands!). We are now on to the next phase in implementing this initiative – no longer using Augsburg funds to purchase individual bottles/cases of water: Augsburg will use already available local tap water and eliminate the sale, reimbursement, and provision of bottled water on campus. This policy aims to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and supports the provision of water as a human right and not a commodity.

Beginning February 1, 2018, Augsburg will no longer use or reimburse University funds for purchases of individual bottled water for on-campus use (except for athletic events). You may have been purchasing individual bottled water in the following ways:

Expense reports
P-Cards
Staples
Petty Cash
Invoices
Watch for the retrofit of drinking fountains to include water filling stations in various spots on campus!

If you have questions or would like support finding alternatives to bottled water for your department, feel free to contact the Environmental Stewardship Committee: environmentalstewardship@augsburg.edu. We are happy to help brainstorm ideas as we move towards loving our local water! And please share your own creative solutions so we can celebrate together!

Learn more about the Policy, our local tap water, and the network of institutions implementing similar policies on the Environmental Stewardship Committee website: http://www.augsburg.edu/green/water-and-energy-conservation/bottled-water-policy/. Student project updates, including water quality testing in our buildings and a re-usable bottle share program, will be available soon.

Special thanks to Administrative Accounting and Purchasing for supporting implementation, and thanks to all of you for your cooperation and creativity as we #LoveLocalWater together!