Bottled water ban slammed

A major beverage company is asking London’s new city council to reverse a decision by the previous one to ban bottled water at city-owned sites.
In a letter going to politicians Tuesday, Nestle Waters — dubbing itself the “healthy hydration company” — is asking Mayor Joe Fontana to consider lifting the ban, which drew national praise when instituted in 2008.
“I am respectfully requesting that your new council give consideration to rescinding the previous council’s decision to ban the sale of bottled water in City of London facilities,” Nestle’s John Challinor writes in a letter to Fontana.
That has one veteran councillor shaking her head in frustration.
Coun. Joni Baechler, an outspoken supporter of council’s decision to ban bottled water from city-owned buildings, parks and golf courses, sees companies like Nestle as direct competitors to London taxpayers.
“We (Londoners) pay to have clean water. By selling water bottles at city hall, you’re allowing your major competitor in the door,” she said.
The phased-in ban took effect Sept. 1, 2008, after council overwhelmingly voted in favour of it. Only three of 19 members of the old council — Tom Gosnell, Bud Polhill and Paul Van Meerbergen — opposed the move.
The ban on bottled water, which drew national media attention to London, was two-pronged, with both an environmental and economic benefit promised by politicians.
Environmentally, it was seen as advantageous because 40 million single-use plastic beverage bottles are sold in London a year — but only 20 million are recycled, the rest ending up in landfills, city staff said.
And economically, city staff estimated a person drinking eight glasses of city tap water daily would pay $1.88 in water and sewer costs annually — but that much water bought at vending machines would cost more than $2,000.
It’s believed London was the fourth Canadian municipality or school board to ban the sale of bottled water.
But now, with a new mayor and several new councillors in power, Nestle hopes to re-open the issue.
Though Nestle supports tap water in many cases — such as in offices and other workplaces — it argues single-use bottles do have a place in the market.
“Bottled water doesn’t compete with tap water,” Challinor, Nestle’s public affairs director, writes. “It competes with other bottled beverages. (People) drink tap water at home and bottled water out-of-home to support their busy, on-the-go lifestyles.”
Nestle Waters sells two brands of bottled water in Canada — Montclair and Nestle Pure Life.
Challinor casts the issue as a matter of the personal right to choose, and even states the city’s ban “is threatening the health of those citizens with immune deficiencies” and possibly leaving them dehydrated.
Baechler isn’t buying Nestle’s arguments.
“I think they’re wondering whether (this push) will get through this council so they’ll try it. It’s in their financial interest to do so,” she said.
“It’s not in the financial interests of taxpayers to do so.”