London Free Press
Bottled water ban OK'd
Tue, August 19, 2008

City council votes to limit the plastic variety at some municipal sites starting Sept. 1
By JONATHAN SHER

London will become one of the first Canadian cities to ban the sale of bottled water at its municipal facilities.

City council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move last night.

The phased-in ban will take effect Sept. 1 at city hall, Market Tower and the A.J. Taylor building and be extended by the end of next year to other city-owned buildings and facilities, including parks and golf courses, once an adequate supply of water fountains is provided.

"It's time to begin to show some leadership," Coun. Bill Armstrong said.

Most on council agreed -only controllers Tom Gosnell and Bud Polhill and Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen opposed a ban.

"It's one more brick in the construction of a nanny state," Van Meerbergen lamented.

His comment sparked a rebuttal by Coun. Cheryl Miller, who chairs the committee that recommended the ban. Referring to her grandchildren and the need to protect their future, Miller said, "Quite frankly, I like it being a nanny state."

Two forces drove the city's proposal:

- To promote city tap water as safe and a bargain compared to the bottled variety.

- To protect the environment by minimizing the use of bottled water that must be trucked to London, the plastic bottles too often ending up in the landfill.

While the ban alone won't make a big dent in the amount of waste going to the landfill, it may prompt citizens to re-think their use of bottled water, Coun. Judy Bryant said.

"We're not changing the world, but we may get people to think," she said.

The move to ban bottled water sales drew swift condemnation from an industry group, which earlier had offered to work with the city to boost recycling rates officials here say are close to 50 per cent.

"The city had an opportunity to expand recycling outside the home, something other municipal leaders are doing, but instead it ignored the facts and decided to target a healthy consumer choice," Justin Sherwood, president of Refreshments Canada, said in a statement. "This is a move that will cost taxpayers more and do less for the environment."

London is the fourth Canadian municipality or school board to ban the sale of bottled water, according to a report by Nestle Waters Canada, the biggest player in the industry.

The industry's position was supported by Gosnell and Polhill, who both warned a ban will push people to drink less healthful alternatives.

"We are penalizing water," Gosnell said.

Van Meerbergen predicted Londoners won't let their kids drink from public fountains that are exposed to things as vile as urine.

"Most families are not going to encourage their children to lap up water from public fountains," he said.

But Coun. Roger Caranci said the city should be proud of its tap water and not send out a mixed message by selling bottled water, too.

"Our (water) standards are the strictest in the world," Caranci said..

About 40 million single-use beverage bottles are sold in London each year, but only 20 million are recycled, city officials say.

Producing bottled water creates as much as 150 times as much greenhouse gas as tap water, officials add.