Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announces his selection of Saratoga bottled water. (Via Schumer’s Flickr page)The local water utility has been on a bit of a publicity kick lately. In the past few weeks, DC Water has been the subject of a City Paper cover story and has announced a series of taste tests to impress residents who insist bottled water is superior, which DCist reported on yesterday.
And today, DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins set out to correct another perceived slight: The water that will be served at the quadrennial inauguration luncheon next January 20. Local tap water, it seems, will not be on the menu when either Barack Obama and Joe Biden or Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan join congressional leaders in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall for the traditional meal following the oaths of office.
Instead, the dignitaries are scheduled to sip on bottled water from Upstate New York. Just why is D.C.’s H2O getting stiffed in favor of the Empire State?
Planning the luncheon menu falls under the purview of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is currently chaired by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) And while Schumer’s preference of cobalt bottles of Saratoga sparkling water is a refreshing choice, it left Hawkins feeling a bit miffed. In a letter to Schumer today, Hawkins writes:
DC Water and utilities across the U.S. enable communities to confidently and reliably drink from their taps. DC tap water is a penny per gallon and bottled water costs 100 times more. As we face mounting challenges with aging infrastructure in need of replacement and repair, DC Water has committed $3.8 billion over 10 years in capital investments for the delivery of clean tap water. Hundreds of water samples are tested each week throughout the District to ensure we meet public health standards set by Congress.
A spokesman for Schumer’s office reminded DCist that Saratoga brand water will be the bottled choice and that tap water will likely be available to anyone who asks.
But DC Water isn’t giving up easily. Should Schumer and the inauguration committee change course, Hawkins is offering Congress free DC Water-branded bottles along with complementary water-quality testing on congressional spigots.
