What do elected officials have against water coolers?

We know that budgets are tight everywhere. But why are water coolers becoming a casualty of municipal belt-tightening?

Last week, we wrote about the decision by the Board of Selectmen in Freetown, Mass. to get rid of water coolers in town hall, as a way to save $500 annually.

Now comes news that another local government in Wallkill, N.Y., is getting rid of its water coolers.

As reported by the Record Online:

Proposed employee furloughs. Halted road projects. Now, say goodbye to water-cooler conversations as Wallkill continues to look for ways to save money.

The town has cut spring water delivery to town buildings.

Without access to water coolers, town employees are sure to reach for bottled water, which is so very bad for the environment. Local governments need to find ways to trim their budgets that don't have such a steep environmental cost.

Getting rid of water coolers doesn't save these towns very much money -- only $500 annually, in the case of Freetown, Mass. -- and it increases the likelihood that employees will reach for the bottle when they're thirsty.

Yes, there's tap water in these government buildings. But we'd wager that most employees will chose the convenience of bottled water over tap.