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Single-Use Bottle Reduction

Single-Use Bottle Reduction

Single-use beverage bottles make up a large percentage of waste and litter in the Tahoe-Truckee area, creating an environmental threat to our region. The Town of Truckee is taking steps to reduce the proliferation of disposable items such as single-use water bottles in our community and encourage a shift to reuse. This includes the recently adopted Single-Use Plastic Bottle and Paper Carton Ordinance, which prohibits the sale and commercial distribution of unflavored, non-carbonated water in single-use plastic bottles and paper cartons under a gallon in size beginning April 22, 2025.

Click on the tabs above or scroll down to find out more about the Town of Truckee’s policies and programs to help residents and visitors ditch single-use plastic bottles!

Truckee Mountain Filtered tap water is clean, cold and delicious, naturally filtered by the same rugged mountains the area is known for. Find out more about what makes our water so special at TruckeeMountainFiltered.org

Find a place to fill up: Whether you’re shopping downtown or headed out on a hike, it’s easy to find a place to fill up wherever you go. Just check out the online filling station map. Heading over to Lake Tahoe? Good news: high-quality, delicious tap water doesn’t stop at the Truckee border. The online map includes plenty of spots where you can fill up with Tahoe Tap, too.

Mobile filling stations are available at most events in Truckee to help provide easy, free access to water. If you’re planning a special event in Truckee, make sure to reserve one of the FREE mobile filling stations or 5-gallon water dispensers!

Filling Station Grant Program: Now open for applications! The Town of Truckee is offering grants of 50% of the cost of new, publicly-accessible filling stations up to $2,500 each. Click here for more details and the program application.

Why the focus on single-use bottles?

While many people reach for single-use plastic water bottles to stay hydrated, their convenience comes at a cost. Plastic bottles are among the top five types of litter found in the Tahoe Basin. In a 2023 litter audit, Town of Truckee staff discovered that half of littered plastic bottles were water bottles, showing the large impact of this single product on waste and litter in our community. When these bottles are littered they don’t decompose and instead break down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic, which can pollute water and harm wildlife.

Reusable water bottles are a fantastic way to reduce environmental impacts and an even better way to express who you are! Bring your bottle wherever you go, fill it up with Truckee Mountain Filtered tap water, and decorate it with stickers from all the adventures you’ve had.

Ordinance

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Ordinance

The Town of Truckee adopted an ordinance banning the sale and commercial distribution of unflavored, non-carbonated water in single-use plastic bottles and paper cartons under a gallon in size beginning April 22, 2025.

General Resources

Business Resources

Background

The ordinance is part of a series of single-use water bottle policy recommendations listed below that staff presented to, and were approved by, Town Council on May 23, 2023:

  1. Develop a comprehensive outreach and incentive program to support a reduction in use of single-use bottles, promote a shift to reusable water bottles, and incentivize installation of additional refill stations in the community.
  2. Prohibit the sale and commercial distribution of water packaged in single-use plastic bottles or paper cartons less than one gallon in volume.
  3. Include exemptions for emergencies, social services, healthcare, and other situations that may impact health and safety.
  4. Report back to Council at least one year after the effective date of implementation of the ordinance and outreach campaign, including impacts on residents and businesses.
  5. Investigate options to expand the ordinance to include other beverages in single-use plastic packaging and provide recommendations to Council for future consideration.

To read the full May 23, 2023 staff report, click here.

The above recommendations for reducing single-use plastic water bottle use were developed using input collected via a community survey, a stakeholder advisory group, and a community workshop.

Community Survey

A community survey for residents, visitors, and businesses in Truckee was available online from February 3-20, 2023. The survey was shared online through Keep Truckee Green and Town of Truckee outreach channels, including e-blasts and social media, as well as through partner agencies including Truckee Chamber, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, and Visit Truckee-Tahoe. Staff also conducted in-person intercept surveys outside Mi Pueblito Market on February 17, where many responses collected were in Spanish. In addition, staff conducted direct phone calls and email outreach to businesses, including grocers and other retail stores, to receive business responses.

Another survey was conducted in November 2023 to get more detailed analysis on plastic water bottle usage among residents. Intercept surveys were conducted in front of Raley’s O-N-E Market, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Mi Pueblito Market, and Safeway. Surveys were also distributed through Sierra Community House.

Workshop

Staff hosted an in-person community workshop on February 8, 2023, at the Community Rec Center. The workshop was advertised along with the survey through Keep Truckee Green, the Town, Truckee Chamber, TDMA, and Visit Truckee-Tahoe’s website and social media outreach channels. Attendees heard a brief presentation on the community engagement process and considerations for policies and actions, and then provided feedback on a series of prompts. Most of the 13 attendees were Truckee High School students involved in the Envirolution Club.

Community Stakeholder Group

Staff also convened a group of community stakeholders to provide additional opportunities for input from business representatives and other key local stakeholders. This group was convened twice, on January 26 and March 8, 2023. Town staff provided a research brief in advance of each meeting to prepare members for the topic of discussion. Members discussed potential impacts on their sector of operations, concerns, and provided feedback on potential policy options. Stakeholders included representatives from local businesses, special events, healthcare, emergency operations, and education.

For more information, contact the Town of Truckee Keep Truckee Green Division at Sustainability@TownOfTruckee.gov.

Filling Station Grants

Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Program Application Now Open!

Applications will be continuously accepted on a first-come first-served, rolling basis. Grants will be awarded until program funding is exhausted or through June 2026.

The Town of Truckee is providing grants to reimburse 50% of a water filling station purchase price (up to $2500 per unit) with a maximum of 5 units per applicant. There is no station limit for public agencies.

The Town of Truckee Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Program was created to provide the community with access to safe and reliable tap water to refill reusable water bottles, reducing the use of disposable water bottles and associated waste and litter.

Who Can Apply? You may be eligible for funds if you:

  • Are located within the Truckee town limits.
  • Are a public facility (city facility, school, community center, parks, recreation areas, etc.) or a private facility/business providing free, unrestricted public access to the filling station during standard business hours.
  • Meet criteria and fulfill application requirements.

How to Apply:

There are three components to each application: the Grant request application, the liability waiver, and a federal W-9 tax form. Applicants must submit a separate grant request application per station they would like to be reimbursed for, but only need to submit one liability waiver and W-9 form. The link to the “Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Guidelines” form provides more information about the grant program and criteria. Information on where to submit the application can be found on the application form.

Water Bottle Filling Station Grant GuidelinesDownload
Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Application – Fillable PDFDownload
Water Bottle Filling Station Grant Waiver – Fillable PDFDownload
W-9 Tax Form PDFDownload

For more information, contact the Keep Truckee Green Division at Sustainability@TownOfTruckee.gov.

Special Events

Free water filling stations and dispensers now available for special events in Truckee!

Water bottle filling stations are a great way to reduce single-use plastic water bottle waste, reduce the amount of trash pick up after an event, and demonstrate to event attendees your organization’s dedication to sustainability! It is also an opportunity to treat event attendees to our amazing Truckee Mountain Filtered tap water sourced from a mountain aquifer in Martis Valley.

There are two mobile water filling stations and two 5-gallon water dispensers available for reservation. Event organizers can reserve any number or combination of mobile stations/dispensers as long as they are available.

The mobile water stations (pictured above and to the left) have two spigots event attendees can use to fill a reusable cup or water bottle. The station needs to be connected to a potable water source via a 25 foot long potable water hose that is provided with each station. Event organizers should encourage attendees to bring a reusable water bottle to refill at these stations.

The two 5-gallon water dispensers (pictured above and to the right) will be empty upon pick up. They do not connect to a potable water source and need to be refilled throughout an event by the event organizer. The water dispensers may only be filled with water and should not be filled with any other type of beverage.

Using the mobile water filling stations and dispensers is also a great way to begin transitioning to a single-use plastic water bottle free Truckee. Starting April 22, 2025 special events in Truckee will need to comply with the Town’s Single-Use Plastic Bottle and Paper Carton Ordinance which prohibits the sale and commercial distribution of water in single-use plastic water bottles and paper cartons. To keep this program available for free, those who reserve the mobile water filling stations and/or dispensers may be responsible for any costs to replace or repair lost or damaged components.

If you are interested in requesting a reservation, please fill out the form here.

Guidelines: Where to pick up, how to set up, clean, and return the water bottling filling stations

Fact Sheet – Special Events Plastic Bottle Ordinance (English/Español)

FAQ Sheet – Special Events Plastic Bottle Ordinance (English/Español)

Please email Sustainability@TownOfTruckee.gov with any questions.

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If you would like to stay up-to-date on Truckee's sustainability efforts or sign up for trash and recycling pick up day reminders, submit your info here!