Tapped

Tapped is a thought-provoking and revealing 2009 documentary that addresses the serious and often overlooked issue of the bottled water industry. This gripping, enlightening film is directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey and features notable individuals such as water advocate Sally Bethea, current US Congressperson Earl Blumenauer, and Amanda Brown, a reported victim of the negative impacts of bottled water.

This eye-opening documentary effectively dissects the problems inherent in America's dependency on bottled water and highlights the socio-economic and environmental impacts in precise detail. From the producers of Who Killed the Electric Car and I.O.U.S.A., Tapped creates a potent sense of urgency that encourages viewers to question our conditioned acceptance of bottled water as a necessary convenience.

Sally Bethea, one of the lead personalities in the film, is a seasoned, passionate water advocate and the founding Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River. Her intense passion for water conservation, combined with her extensive expertise, renders her one of the most impactful voices in Tapped. She fearlessly illuminates the adversities caused by the relentless pursuit of profit by bottling companies at the expense of natural water sources and the communities that depend on them.

Earl Blumenauer, a US congressman known for his commitment to sustainability and environmental causes, offers a potent political voice in the documentary. Blumenauer lends his legislative experience and policy wisdom to Tapped, underscoring the need for robust legislation and systems to manage and protect our water resources on a national level. His perspective significantly contributes to the film's impassioned call to action, and his involvement epitomizes the intersection of water issues with political impacts.

Amanda Brown's emotional account of her communities battle with bottled water companies provides the human dimension to the narrative. Brown, who claims her town's water supply was contaminated by a local bottling plant, shares her firsthand experiences with the environmental and socio-economic impacts of non-regulated bottling practices. Her story effectively resonates and grounds the broad examination of the bottled water industry's practices in human terms.

Tapped explores varied thematic aspects of the bottled water industry – from the health risks of plastic bottles and elements associated with the production of plastic water bottles to the disturbingly wide-spread pollution of natural water bodies as well as water depletion in certain areas due to aggressive drilling by water companies. The film also dissects the business strategies and marketing ploys that initiated and continue to drive the demand for bottled water, despite it being a freely available natural resource.

The documentary promotes an informative exploration of the state of water – our most valuable and critical resource – in contemporary society. It showcases the gravity of corporate profit-driven motives over community welfare and raises essential questions about consumers' role in propelling this critical issue. The directors have done a commendable job of mapping out the gritty reality hidden behind the innocuous facade of plastic water bottles. They accomplished this challenging task by leveraging the power of visual communication, meticulously researched facts, experts' opinions, and victims' testimonies.

Tapped strips away any illusions about the bottled water industry being harmless or sustainable. It uncovers the devastation caused by the relentless extraction of water resources and non-biodegradable plastic pollution that is ubiquitous in our modern world. It's not just a film that illuminates a stark global crisis – it's a passionate call for individuals to rethink their choices, for communities to safeguard their resources, and for governments to rethink their policies.

The film's truthful, down-to-earth, and analytical approach ensures that the message doesn't get lost amidst the enormity of the issue or the complexity of the statistics. Tapped draws the audience in with compelling people, gripping facts, and a passionate plea for change. It leaves viewers wondering about their next drink of water and the hidden costs they might be paying without even realizing it.

Overall, Tapped is an indispensable documentary that fosters understanding, instigates change, and ushers people towards a more sustainable and equitable relationship with this vital resource.