City Hall is turning on its taps and putting a cap on bottled water thanks to a move made yesterday by Halifax Regional Municipality’s elected officials.
Fifteen city councillors voted for banning “purchase and distribution of bottled water” in the Grand Parade building, while only five were opposed to the motion brought forward by Coun. Jennifer Watts, who represents the Connaught-Quinpool district.
The successful vote means HRM joins 69 municipalities in eight provinces and one territory who have done the same, supporting a 2009 resolution from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recommending bottled water be phased out of city facilities across the country, an Ecology Action Centre news release says.
“I think that this motion is putting HRM back on the track to being a leader in sustainability,” Watts said before a lengthy debate last night.
Coun. Reg Rankin (Timberlea-Prospect) agreed it’s “certainly the right thing to do,” but Coun. Barry Dalrymple (Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank) said he couldn’t support the motion because “bottled water is the only source of water for 80 per cent of my district.”
City staff said HRM spends $20,000 yearly on bottled water. The bottles won’t be banned at other municipal facilities until water testing is completed.
