Mpls Taxpayer Money to Promote Tap Water

The latest waste of taxpayer money brought to you from Fox 9 News.

Tap Minneapolis costs $180,000

Published : Monday, 22 Jun 2009, 8:16 PM CDT

MINNEAPOLIS - The city of Minneapolis is spending nearly $200,000 to sell something that would seem to sell itself: tap water.

With her bottle of water in hand, Susan Davis was feeling hot and a little guilty.

“It would be great if everyone did drink the tap water,” said Davis. “I think the tap water in Minneapolis is just fine.”

Tap Minneapolis is the city's new web site, and PR campaign to promote the city's tap water. But unlike tap water, it's not cheap.

The web site costs $75,000. The total cost paid to the PR firm was $180,000.

It's the kind of thing Governor Tim Pawlenty attacked last week. It also is enough to drive County Commissioner Jeff Johnson to drink.

It takes a $180,000 in taxpayer money to convince those same taxpayers to drink tap water. A reasonable person could ask whether that's wise or not.

But the real problem for some may be the product. The city's water comes from the Mississippi River and a spring run off gives it a taste and smell, that's just a little off.

The water campaign was Mayor R.T. Rybak’s idea. He also brought us those decorative water fountains a year ago.