Quick, hide the bottle – unless it’s full of tap water.
If local members of the Council of Canadians could have their wish, the city would ban store-bought bottled water in public places.
“We salute Campbell River city’s policy of banning bottled water at city council meetings and events but feel that the bottled water ban should be expanded to include all city facilities,” Joanne Banks, member of the citizens’ group, told council last week.
Banks said there are several good reasons to ban bottled water – not even half of plastic water bottles are recycled, ending up in landfills and as litter, plastic water bottles take water and oil to manufacture and plastic water bottles contribute to climate change – but she said the city has one very good reason.
“A couple of years ago, Campbell River was judged to have the fourth-best water in the world,” she said, pointing out that there’s no need for anyone in city limits to drink bottled water.
“Bottled water is not cleaner or safer than tap water and, in fact, lots of bottled water is simply municipal or city tap water.”
The city should also provide more water fountains in public places, she said.
Banks praised the city for deciding three years ago to maintain an in-house water testing system.
She also praised the city for encouraging people to conserve water, but was critical of the city’s plans to introduce a water metering pilot project.
“We have some concerns about the proposed tender for water metering including cost to the taxpayer, and feel that renewed water conservation efforts including mandatory legislation requiring more water-efficient toilet tanks and washing machines and paying for water through city taxes are the way to go rather than water metering,” she said.
Banks asked council to pass a resolution banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities and at city events; promote publicly financed, owned and operated water and waste water services; and recognize water as a human right.
After her presentation, council discussed it briefly. Coun. Andy Adams asked her what Public Health thought of water fountains in public places, but she didn’t have an answer.
Council received her report, but didn’t take any action to pass a resolution banning bottled water.