Palisades Tahoe | Alpine Meadows has announced the new 'Drink Mountain Tap' program as part of its ongoing and multi-faceted environmental stewardship efforts. The new initiative includes introduction of reusable water bottles, water refill stations, and the elimination of the sale of disposable plastic water bottles at locations around the mountain and in the base area.

From News Release...

[Olympic Valley, Calif.] January 21, 2016 – As part of its mission to serve as a responsible steward of the environment and its mountains, Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows announces the implementation of Drink Mtn Tap, a program focused on reducing single-use water bottle usage.  The resort will discontinue the sale of bottled water, offer visitors reusable water bottles for purchase at the same price point as disposable bottles, and install 20 new water refill stations across both Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows. This initiative aims to inspire guests to rethink their daily habits by choosing reusable products over single-use items, while reducing the total amount of plastic waste generated by the resort each year. No other domestic ski resort has undertaken an initiative of this kind, but the hope is that other ski resorts will follow suit to propagate the message to winter enthusiasts to take care the environment and mountains they enjoy for recreation. The Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows refillable bottles have a slim, flexible design to fit easily in a jacket pocket for on-the-slopes hydration, and feature scenic photographs of each respective mountain, reminding users of the magnificent natural beauty that they are helping to protect.

“We are passionate about our community and these incredible mountains and our values are squarely centered upon our legacy. With Drink Mountain Tap we can lead by example to show businesses that these kinds of changes are environmentally as well as fiscally viable,” says Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Palisades Tahoe Ski Holdings, LLC, the parent company of Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows. “Drink Mountain Tap will not only remove 28,000 bottles from our annual waste stream, but it will provide a cost savings to our guests who can use refill a sustainable container with free water that comes straight from the mountains.

The resort-wide Drink Mtn Tap initiative will save 28,000 bottles from going into landfills each year. In ten years, this will add up to nearly 300,000 plastic bottles and over eight metric tons of CO2 emissions saved from the production of plastic bottles. In keeping with the goals of the program, Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows has partnered with Mizu, a California-based company founded by former pro snowboarder Jussi Oksanen, committed to “Protecting Where We Play.” Mizu donated five of the Mizu Water Bar refill stations to the Drink Mtn Tap program.

“Palisades Tahoe was my original stomping ground early in my career, so it’s amazing to be able to work with them on a project that is so close to my heart and passion,” said Jussi. “We are proud to collaborate with Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows to help them become the first U.S. ski area to move away from single-use plastic water bottles.

The tap water at Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows is supplied by three different sources, all originating from its local mountain watershed. Palisades Tahoe Public Service District supplies the water at the base of Palisades Tahoe, and was recognized as the “Best Tasting Water in California” at the 2015 California Rural Water Association Expo. Alpine Springs County Water District supplies the water at Alpine Meadows and Elevation 8200’ Water Company, operated by Palisades Tahoe, serves the Palisades Tahoe Upper Mountain Facilities, and was recognized as the “Best Tasting Water in California” at the 2011 California Rural Water Association Expo.
 
For more information about Palisades Tahoe Alpine Meadows and their commitment to environmental stewardship, visit www.squawalpine.com.