The Raley's in Incline Village is encouraging customers not to buy something they sell - plastic water bottles. Instead, they're asking customers to consider using refillable water bottles as part of a new initiative called Drink Tahoe Tap.

"I think it's such a great thing that Raley's is taking the initiative to be the steward in the community to try to eliminate plastic water bottles on our beaches and in our streams," said employee Frankie Sanchez. "And I think it's super cool this Raley's in particular is taking the initiative to protect our environment here in the basin."

Every year volunteer groups remove thousands of pounds of litter from Tahoe beaches - a lot of that, plastic waste.

"We are finding microplastics on all of the Tahoe beaches and in the water, and it's from our litter," said Heather Segale with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. "We know the primary litter found on beaches is plastic litter, so by reducing the plastic in the environment, we can reduce the plastic that gets into our water. All plastic created is never destroyed, it lasts forever, so a 12-ounce bottle of water is a pretty big commitment."

Drink Tahoe Tap makes it easy to fill water bottles throughout the Tahoe basin.

"It's really easy, you can use any sink around Tahoe," said Amy Berry, CEO of The Tahoe Fund. "We also have lots of water refill stations throughout the lake, and we have a program with the Tahoe Water Suppliers Association. So if you're interested in getting a refill station at your business, you can apply for a grant and we'll help you pay for that."

The goal is to get residents and visitors alike to tap into some of the purest drinking water around.

"We've won multiple regional, state and national awards for the quality and taste of the drinking water," said Madonna Dunbar, Executive Director of the Tahoe Water Suppliers Association. "Our drinking water is highly regulated; all tap water in the United States is regulated much more than bottled water is, and we have lots of reports on what's in the water and how it's being delivered to you."

There's even an app to find these water stations, but in the Tahoe area, any tap will do.

"It's such a small thing you can do that can have a huge impact," Berry said.

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