City council in London, Ont., has voted in principle to stop selling bottled water in city offices, cafeterias and parks in a bid to reduce waste.

"What council last night endorsed in principle ... is that we will no longer sell or make available bottled water at a number of city facilities and a number of city-owned concessions and vending machines in a phased-in timetable," said Jay Stanford, director of environmental programs and solid waste.

Council will hear from members of the community on Aug. 11.

"Our target is to get started in facilities where there is very easy access to municipal water," Stanford said.

"So at city hall here for example in London, we have got a water fountain on every single floor. There is access at meetings to pitchers of water with ice so therefore there is no need at city hall for bottled water to be made available or sold because good, clean, clear municipal water is available."

A December 2007 municipal report on waste diversion suggested many plastic bottles were not being recycled. The report also raised concerns about bottled water screening standards.

"Staff are examining the elimination of bottled water from municipal offices/buildings to provide a message to residents and staff that these bottles are wasteful and that water in these containers is not tested to the same standards as municipal water," the report said.

"In conjunction with this decision, the promotion of alternatives such as water fountains, providing more access to water pitchers and glasses at meetings and refillable water bottles would be considered."

In August 2006, delegates to the United Church of Canada's general council voted to discourage the purchase of bottled water within its churches. The motion called on church members to advocate against the "privatization of water" and to support healthy local supplies of water.

Environmentalist David Suzuki has also urged consumers to choose tap water, saying bottled water produces excessive waste.

But many consumers prefer bottled water as an on-the-go alternative to juice or soda pop. The bottled water industry has also battled back, saying that its bottles are fully recyclable.