ROCKY HILL, Conn. -- Ditching bottled water could save the state about $500,000, officials said Wednesday.

Studies show that in the last few years, three out of four people drink bottled water instead of tap water.

According to Corporate Accountability International, giving up city contracts for bottled water would not only save the state money, it will send a message to big corporations.

West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka was at a rally for the cause Wednesday. He said his town has no bottled water contracts and there’s no plan to change that.

The corporate accountability group is asking all public officials to drink tap water and ditch the bottle.

“It’s crucial,” said Caitlin Corner-Dolloff, who organized that Connecticut event. “If they don't drink the tap water, the public won’t.”

She said the group hopes the money saved from the bottled water contracts will go toward investing in vital public water systems.

For what you would pay for a bottle of water, citizens could get hundreds of thousands of gallons from the Metropolitan District Commission, she said.

What the plastic bottles do to the environment is also a hot-button issue. The accountability group said it hopes terminating contracts with water companies will not only help the planet but would eventually phase out the bottles.