In a move it said was aimed at promoting the safety and economy of municipally supplied drinking water, the City Council here voted on August 18 to eliminate sales of single-use bottled water at city-run facilities, according to an August 19 article in The London Free Press.

The ban will begin September 1 at City Hall and other buildings, and will be phased in by spring 2009 at other city-run facilities, including office buildings, arenas, community centers and possibly golf courses. It will apply only to buildings equipped with drinking water fountains.

City officials backing the ban said it will protect the environment by reducing both the carbon footprint that trucked-in bottled water leaves as well as the number of plastic bottles that end up in the local landfill, as WaterTech Online™ has reported.

Justin Sherwood, president of Refreshments Canada, which represents beverage manufacturers, distributors and others in the refreshment industry, said in the article that the decision is a “real missed opportunity to do something positive for the environment.”