Put the lid on bottled water

This past Sunday was World Water Day. It was a special day designated by the United Nations to recognize the growing threats to this precious resource. Over one billion people on our planet lack access to clean, safe drinking water.

Water and air are not yet listed as human rights, which prevents the necessary action to rectify significant issues. Last year it was the Canadian government that blocked Germany’s and Spain’s attempt to add water to the U.N. Human Rights list because our leaders want water to be viewed primarily as a commodity, a resource to be privatized and sold to the public.

Fortunately, many Canadian municipalities have access to water sources that are adequately clean and safe to drink and often reach higher standards than water sold by bottling companies. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently voted in favour of a resolution that encourages its member municipalities to phase out the sale of bottled water at their facilities, increase access to municipal water by installing water fountains, and supporting campaigns that raise awareness about the benefits of drinking municipal water.

All over Canada, university students came together March 22 with various events to show their support of a bottled water ban on academic campuses.

Acadia University was one. The students are holding a whole week of water-related activities. The local campus joined Dalhousie and 19 other Canadian universities that are coordinating events aimed at raising awareness about bottled water.

Bottled water is a rights issue, as no one can survive without water, but it is also associated with other issues such as environmental degradation, sustainability and security.

There is no question as a nation we are beginning to stand up for Canada’s water services by restricting the provision and sale of bottled water.

So far 29 municipalities from seven provinces have phased out the bottle and gone "back to the tap." In our country, municipal water systems are now among the safest and strongest in the world. At the same time, bottled water costs more, is less regulated, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxic substances while access to municipal drinking water is hard to find. Too many new buildings are being constructed without water fountains and older ones have decommissioned existing fountains.

We cannot be enamoured with bottled water any longer. The convenience and the marketing ploys no longer work because there is no environmental plus to bottled water.

As long as one-fifth of the world’s people, especially our own aboriginal people, don’t have safe water to drink, Canadians have to think about this topic. Another 40 per cent of the world’s population doesn’t have access to safe and clean toilets.

Canada needs to develop a national strategy on water. Here in the Annapolis Valley we must think about the stresses we are putting on our water supply with increased development. Water is a fundamental resource. We must all take individual responsibility and behave in ways that are ecologically sustainable. Fill up a glass bottle with tap water and try that.