Legislative Action

Town bans bottled water on public facilities

Georgina
April 27, 2009

By tracy Kibble

The town will not longer sell or provide bottled water on any public-owned facilities where potable water is available, it was decided last week.
The movement to ban bottled water in municipalities across Ontario is growing with 24 municipalities from six provinces already restricting bottled water use.

The Polaris Institute - a group that incites social change through education - has petitioned Ontario communities to "support public water".

In Ontario, 13 municipalities have already passed legislation to phase out the provision and sale of bottled water on city/town properties and promote pubic municipal water in a "turn on the tap" movement.

In a letter to municipalities, the institute states Ontario municipal water systems are among the safest and strongest in the world and that using bottled water is bad for the environment.

The town agreed to ban the sale of bottled water on town facilities and promote public awareness about the "positive benefits and quality of municipal water supplies" in its April 14 council meeting.