Government use of bottled water restricted

A provincial government policy announced today, June 2, eliminates the purchase and use of bottled water by all government departments with access to potable tap water. The policy emphasizes the high quality of Nova Scotia's tap water and reduces the amount of plastic entering the province's waste recycling systems.

"For pennies a glass, Nova Scotians can drink some of the safest and best-tasting tap water in the world," said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau, "This government is showing genuine leadership by encouraging more use of tap water and less use of plastics."

The policy will apply only to government departments where potable tap water is available and not to public institutions such as hospitals. It will not apply to private sector organizations. The policy will eliminate the departmental purchasing of individual bottled water, in favour of potable tap water.

"By using tap water, government will help reduce the high number of plastic bottles that enter the waste recycling stream each year in our province," said Belliveau. "We are making life better for families by reducing the amount of plastic entering our waste stream."

Departments will no longer purchase bottled water for meetings, conferences, or other government functions. The policy allows a department to use bottled water only in certain circumstances, including times of emergency or if potable tap water becomes unavailable.

Many organizations in Canada, such as universities and municipalities, have developed a similar policy to reduce plastic waste. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities urges all members to phase out the sale and provision of bottled water in municipal facilities.

The Department of Environment had a green your meetings program to reduce the use of plastics, electricity, and other resources, before developing a bottled water policy for government.

The new policy was announced during Environment Week, which ends June 5, by Belliveau at the Mobius Environmental Awards. The awards are presented annually by RRFB Nova Scotia to businesses and organizations that show commitment to waste reduction.

For information about ways to celebrate Environment Week in Nova Scotia visit http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/environmentweek/ .