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The City of Ottawa is rolling out a five-year plan to promote Municipal Drinking Water.
With 70 per cent of Ottawa households saying they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the quality and safety of the drinking water, the city wants to promote the use of tap water for consumption.
A report for the Planning and Environment Committee says staff have prepared a plan for “improving public confidence in, and public access to, municipal drinking water.”
The objectives of the Promoting Municipal Drinkng Water Plan include promoting Ottawa’s drinking water supply, improve access to drinking water at public events and “secure broad scale confidence in the municipal water supply.”
A survey conducted in the fall of 2009 found 70 per cent of households said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the quality and safety of the municipal drinking water.
The survey showed 53 per cent stated the city water was their only source of household drinking water, and the city hopes to boost that to 75 per cent in the long-term.
The five year plan to promote drinking water runs until 2013.
In 2010, the city plans to purchase two water trailers along with associated vehicles to serve as an “Ottawatermobile” for use at outdoor festivals and events and purchase and supply City of Ottawa refillable water bottles.
The budget for the Promotion of Municipal Drinking Water will be $790-thousand for 2011-through-2013.
Phase 2 objectives include implementing measures that improve public access to drinking water outdoors and improve access at outdoor facilities.