Mural Arts & Phila Water debut new mural in North Philly to encourage drinking tap water

Murals are strategically places to reach communities with tap water skepticm

Tap water is healthy, sustainable, and affordable is the message.

Mural Arts Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Water Department & Philadelphia Parks and Recreation unveiled a new Drink More Tap mural at Cruz Recreation Center on Tuesday evening.

Photo by Grace Maiorano/Philadelphia Water Department

Artist Carlos “CALO” Lopez Rosa, a locally-based, El Salvador-born street artist, was commissioned in 2019 to produce pieces of public art at two North Philadelphia recreation centers. Along with a mural at Penrose Recreation Center (1101 W. Susquehanna Ave), each artwork includes portraits of residents drinking tap water woven into them.

The mural locations were chosen to reach areas where buying bottled water is most common.

“Once you see people from your rec center drinking water from the fountain, I think that has a better impact than having a huge billboard trying to convince people,” said Rosa.

Artist Carlos “CALO” Lopez Rosa (left) at the Cruz Recreation Center mural unveiling. Photo by Grace Maiorano/Philadelphia Water Department

The art project is a part of the Philadelphia Water’s Drink More Tap campaign, created after research by the University of Pennsylvania found that 40% of Philadelphians drink bottled water at home instead of tap. There’s also a correlation between bottled water preference and poverty in Philadelphia.

Broke in Philly is a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push toward economic justice. Green Philly is one of more than 20 news organizations in the collective. Follow us on Twitter @BrokeInPhilly.

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.