Cut off bottled water supply, St. John's council told
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 | 12:37 PM NT
CBC News
Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth is backing a motion that would ban bottled water from city buildings and city-sponsored functions. (CBC)Workers at St. John's city hall may soon be drinking their last sips of bottled water at the council's expense.
Deputy Mayor Ron Ellsworth wants fellow councillors to approve a ban on bottled water in city buildings. Council is scheduled to deal with a motion to that effect at Tuesday evening's meeting.
Ellsworth said the issue is not about saving money, but setting an example.
"We are the provider of the water, and the water coming out of plants and coming in is of good quality, therefore we shouldn't have bottled water at our facilities and we shouldn't be paying for bottled water," Ellsworth told CBC News.
But Coun. Wally Collins, who has been a landscaper for the past 30 years, said the ban could actually waste water.
Cutting out bottled water would see a lot of public water go down the drain, especially at the start of the week, he said.
"That's in the pipes all weekend. That's not fit to drink Monday morning," Collins said.
"They're talking about conserving water, and every Monday, for anyone to get a drink that works with the city, you know, we got to drain the system."
Collins would like the city council to defer its decision until it consults with staff on the matter.
The proposed ban would also cover events funded and hosted by the city.
Ellsworth said the city has not calculated how much it spends on bottled water each year, but said it is in the thousands of dollars.
