Report to: General Committee Date Report Authored: October 20, 2009

SUBJECT: Corporate Bottled Water Use Policy

PREPARED BY: Mavis Urquhart, Manager, Environmental Leadership, Operations Department, Community and Fire Services

RECOMMENDATION:

1) That the report entitled “Corporate Bottled Water Use Policy” be received;

2) That the Operations staff be directed to complete a comprehensive audit of bottled water use within the Corporation and at Town events, including its financial implications, emergency requirements, and accessibility needs, etc.;

3) That based upon that comprehensive audit, Operations staff report back with a draft corporate policy and actions to minimize use of bottled water;

And that Staff be authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.

1. Purpose 2. Background 3. Discussion 4. Financial

5. Others (HR, Strategic, Affected Units) 6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

To provide Council with a brief overview of the bottled water issue and outline recommended steps for phasing out unnecessary use, purchase and provision of bottled water in Town facilities and events.

BACKGROUND:

A growing number of municipalities, universities, schools and organizations are in the process of “banning” the purchase and sale of bottled water at their facilities:

· 71 municipalities from 8 provinces and 1 territory have “banned” bottled water to varying degrees;

· 35 universities and colleges have established bottled water-free zones;

· 2 universities have banned bottled water;

· 6 school boards have implemented restrictions on bottled water*;

· Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) passed a resolution in 2009, urging all members to phase out sale and provision of bottled water in municipal facilities and develop awareness programs about the benefits and qualities of municipal water;

These measures are intended to support the increasing awareness of the affordability and safety of municipal tap water and serve as a positive example to the community. “Banning” has meant that in some municipalities Council will drink only tap water, while others have banned bottled water from their facilities, events, parks and golf courses.

*statistics from Polaris Institute

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

Why not Tapwater? What are the Barriers?

Staff has investigated this issue and reviewed reports of other municipalities and some of the barriers to choosing to drink tap water that have been identified include:

• Doesn’t taste as good as bottled water to some people
• Not as available, convenient, or useful in emergency situations
• There aren’t enough public fountains/refill stations
• Maintenance and vandalism of public fountains/refill stations
• Cleanliness of fountains, glasses, jugs, etc.
• Concerns about contamination
• Not perceived as “pure” as bottled water

Bottled Water Audit

Prior to a “ban” or “phasing out” bottled water use at Markham facilities and events, the first step would be to undertake a comprehensive audit to understand the barriers to drinking tap water, as well as underlying reasons for bottled water use. The audit would provide a benchmark to monitor success and help direct development of an effective policy and actions that will achieve longterm reduction goals.

Issues to be considered in the development of a corporate policy and any actions are:

• Contracts related to the sale of bottled water (vending machines, kiosks, etc.)
• Access to drinking fountains at Town facilities
• Public Health and Safety related issues
• Staff concerns, such as hygiene
• Accessibility issues
• Town events and potable water
• Alternative healthy drinks

Proposed Schedule for Completion of Audit and Policy Preparation

January 2010 – Comprehensive audit

As a first step an audit is recommended:

• to understand how and why bottled water is used by staff across the Corporation and at Town events and identify barriers to drinking tap water;
• to establish a benchmark (i.e. amount of bottled water purchased, sold)

The audit would include assessments at Community Centres, Markham Theater, other municipal buildings and at Town events. Interviews/questionaires would be developed and conducted with staff members, Councillors and others.

Next Step - Policy Development

Based upon the audit and background research, a draft policy and recommended actions would be developed.

Spring 2010 – Staff Report back with findings, draft policy and recommendations Staff would report back to Council on findings, proposed policy and recommended actions to phase out the unnecessary use, purchase and provision of bottled water in Town facilities and at Town events.

CONCLUSIONS:

Bottled water is currently used in different ways and for many different reasons across the Corporation. In place of an immediate “ban” on bottled water use, Staff is first recommending a comprehensive audit to understand barriers to drinking tap water, as well as underlying reasons for bottled water use and then developing a policy and actions to achieve long-term reduction goals.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND TEMPLATE:

None.

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSIDERATIONS

None.

ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

This aligns with Environmental Focus and Municipal Services review.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Waste Management.

RECOMMENDED

BY: ________________________ ________________________

Brenda Librecz, Commissioner Peter Loukes, P. Eng.

Community and Fire Services Director, Operations