Manufacturers are trying to plug a possible ban on bottled water in public facilities in Vernon.
A representative from Nestle Waters Canada told council Monday that restricting the use of bottled water in city building would be misguided.
“Any possibility of a ban is troubling to our employees, customers and business partners who live and conduct commerce across this province,” said John Challinor, corporate affairs director.
“We believe Vernon residents have the right to purchase and consume the beverage of their choice in municipal facilities. That choice shouldn’t be made for them.”
Challinor says the industry has taken significant strides to ensure bottles are recycled, and audits indicate that water containers account for less than one-eighth of one per cent of the waste stream in Canada.
“If the bottled water industry was to disappear tomorrow, there would be no appreciable reduction in the amount of refuse going to the landfill.”
Challinor also believes that removing bottled water from vending machines will lead to people consuming less healthy beverages.
“Bottled water is proving to be particularly helpful at a time when the incidence of obesity and diabetes are on a significant increase among Canadians, particularly those born after 2000,” he said.
It has been suggested that money spent on bottled water takes away from infrastructure like municipal water, but Challinor says taxpayers fund civic initiatives.
“They spend their after-tax or disposable income on many consumer items, including bottled water. They do not spend money on bottled water at the expense of tap water.”
Coun. Buffy Baumbrough took notes during Nestle Waters’ presentation.
“They are legitimately presenting their perspective and they are entitled to do that,” she said.
“They believe those of us with issues about bottled water have missed the point.”
Baumbrough has previously expressed concerns about the energy needed to produce bottles, ship them to market and then to recycle the plastic bottles.
Coun. Mary-Jo O’Keefe believes city facilities should set an example by using tap water.
“We spent millions of dollars on providing quality water (at Duteau Creek) and people should drink it,” she said.
The city’s environmental advisory committee is currently investigating the issue of restricting the use of bottled water in civic facilities.
