The farm town of Alamosa, Colo. has a major problem: salmonella in its tap water supply. According to the Associated Press:
More than 300 of Alamosa’s 8,500 people have been sickened since the first victims showed symptoms on March 7. Some 73 cases have been confirmed, with 11 people requiring hospitalization. Half the victims have been under age 11.
Quoting the Centers for Disease Control, the article added that there have been 15 salmonella outbreaks in municipal water systems between 1971 and 2004.
When people sign on to unfair pledges to stop buying bottled water, when governments put burdensome taxes on the product (as we’ve seen in Chicago), or local officials enact bans for bottles in city offices (as we’ve seen in San Francisco), these actions make it harder for bottled water companies to do their job, and, can put these honest businesses out of business.
These companies are being hurt by such actions, and they must be preserved. Because as we’ve seen in Alamosa, bottled water isn’t always just a choice: it’s a necessity.