Newton on Tap

Newton on Tap is a program to increase resident and visitor access to Newton’s tap water and reduce the use of single use plastic bottles. Newton joins a growing movement in hundreds of cities and towns across the country, on college campuses, and in America’s national parks to encourage the use of safe, clean, and refillable tap water in place of water in single use plastic bottles.

Filter by

Why tap water?

Newton is a participant in the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) network of communities that draws its water from the Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts. Tap water in Newton is a safe and healthy choice, and much more sustainable than bottled water. It is regularly monitored at the source for purity, and subject to strict water quality standards to minimize the risk of exposure to harmful contaminants. The 2022 drinking water test results for Newton published by the MWRA confirm that our drinking water quality is excellent.
Tap water is very low-cost, making it an indispensable community resource. It does not contribute to litter, plastic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions in our community the way bottled water does. Each plastic bottle discarded after a single use has a very low chance of being recycled. When tossed in the trash in Newton, it ends up at an incinerator, which releases toxins into the atmosphere. In addition, recent research has found that concerning levels of nano plastics are found in water packaged in single use plastics bottles.

What’s wrong with water in single use plastic bottles?

Research has shown that single use plastic bottles shed micro plastic particles into the water or other liquid in the bottle. These particles have been found in various parts of the human body, in animals, and in the environment. In addition, plastic contains added chemicals that can leach into the water such as bisphenol-a, phthalates, PFAS, and other endocrine disruptors. There is no government oversight requiring the testing of bottled water for these chemicals. There is however, the requirement to test and report for these chemicals in tap water.

Public access to tap water

Newton on Tap has been actively working with city stakeholders to identify working bottle refill station locations. The City plans to locate outdoor stations on new public buildings built in the future. Examples of new construction that will include outdoor water filling station access are the new Gath Pool and the Cooper Senior Center.

Retailers and tap water refills

The Newton on Tap campaign also includes outreach to business owners. To help increase the number of access points around the city, we are asking local businesses to participate in refilling a customer’s water bottle or providing a glass of tap water upon request.

 

Help us locate more refill stations

  • Is your business willing to refill water bottles for members of the public? Are you willing to ask your favorite restaurant to provide one? Email us to let us know.
  • If you have an update on the working status of an existing public water source, or the location of a drinking water source that is missing from the map, email us.

 

Public Water Filling Stations



Cabot Park, Newtonville
John Kelly Statue, Comm Ave. & Walnut St.
Murphy Field, West Newton
Newton City Hall
Newton Free Library
Wellington Park, West Newton

Participating Businesses


Cabots
Johnny's Luncheonette
Moldova
Ninebark
Sol Azteca