Bottled water could soon be removed from public school vending machines and cafeterias in Ottawa due to concerns about its environmental footprint.

A motion calling for a plan to eliminate the regular sale and purchase of bottled water in schools by September 2009 was to go before the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board at its meeting Tuesday evening.

It was brought forward by Rideau-Vanier/Capital trustee Rob Campbell, who said schools really shouldn't be in the bottled water business because consuming bottled water isn't environmentally responsible and sends the wrong message to students.

"We shouldn't be promoting the idea … that there's some important extra value in the water in disposable plastic water bottles," he said Tuesday. "The tap water is absolutely fine."

He added that water is directly available "within a short walk for every student" in Ottawa.

However, it will still take a little bit of time for the water to be phased out since the school board has vending contracts with some suppliers and does earn some revenue from the sale of bottled water.

The motion will not bar students from bringing bottled water to school with them.

Most bottles not recycled: activist

Environmental activist Maude Barlow was to speak in favour of the motion at Tuesday's meeting.

"Most bottles in the world don't get recycled," she said, adding that even bottles that are recycled can only be reprocessed a certain number of times.

There are also health concerns with bottled water, she added, as bottles are made of petroleum-based materials, and their chemical components may leach into the water over time.

"The longer that water's been in the plastic, the worse it may be."

Barlow also believes it is wrong to pay "1,000 times more" for water that has been bottled.

School board chair Lynn Scott said she hasn't heard much opposition to the motion.

When asked whether she is concerned about how companies will respond, Scott said it isn't something she thinks about much: "I think the bigger issue is what message are we sending to our children here."