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Water, Water Everywhere
Water authority enters bottled-water biz
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Business New Haven
1/8/2001
By: BNH
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Passengers at Tweed-New Haven Airport can now grab a bottle of the Regional Water Authority's own branded bottled water, Whitney's Pure Water, from a vending machine at the airport before emplaning. The airport vending machine has been selling the water since autumn.
“It's selling very, very well,” explained Jane Henderson, business development coordinator at the RWA. A bottle of the Whitney water costs $1 from the vending machine.
The water authority began bottling Whitney's Pure Water in January 1998. The aquatic product is named after Eli Whitney Jr., son of the cotton gin inventor and creator of New Haven's first reservoir and distribution system.
Besides Tweed, several area businesses carry the water, including Hummel Brothers on Long Wharf, Ferraro's Market on Grand Avenue, the New Haven Lawn Club, Brandi's Meat Market in Hamden, Shoreline Foods in Branford and Bishop's Orchard in Guilford.
In addition to retail sales, non-profit arts organizations in New Haven are selling the bottled water at performances. Some proceeds from these sales are retained by the non-profits, according to RWA officials. In addition, the RWA receives requests from civic groups seeking drinking water for road races, fairs, and area Little Leagues. Last autumn, Whitney's Water was the official water for the New Haven Road Race on Labor Day.
The water itself originates in the RWA's Lake Gaillard reservoir in North Branford and is bottled by Manitock Springs Water in Waterford. Before leaving the North Branford water treatment plant, the water goes through a charcoal filter to remove the taste and odor of chlorine. Fluoride is added to prevent dental cavities. The water is then trucked to the bottler for processing. Ozone is added to the water by Manitock Springs to insure freshness. In a process known as ozonation, a high-frequency electrical charge, similar to a lightening bolt in an electrical storm, is used to convert oxygen to ozone. Ozone can be thought of as a super form of oxygen.
Some proceeds from the sale of all Whitney's Water goes to support the Watershed Fund, a separate non-profit organization created by the RWA to support environmental education programs and preserve undeveloped watershed lands. Whitney's Pure Water sells for $7.95 a case (24 16.9-ounce bottles).
The RWA supplies water and water-related services to some 400,000 consumers in 12 south-central Connecticut municipalities. In 1999, consumers used more than 20 billion gallons of water. The authority also owns about 24,000 acres of watershed land, provides recreational opportunities and sells an expanding line of water-related products and services. Through its Whitney Water Center, it also provides hands-on water science programs to some 16,000 students each year.
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