Bottlers all agree tap water is safe

Re 1 in 5 households drink primarily bottled water, Aug. 1 Living next to one of the largest fresh-water bodies in the world, every day, Torontonians wake up with access to fresh, safe drinking water from their taps.

Our industry believes in the importance of supporting the great drinking water systems that exist here in Toronto, across the province and all over Canada.

Maude Barlow, honorary chairperson of the Council of Canadians is wrong to say that bottled-water producers have told Canadians that tap water is unsafe. In fact, producers have come out strongly in support of safe municipal water systems. The reality is that most Canadians enjoy local tap water over bottled water.

According to Forum Research’s latest polling in Ontario on bottled-water consumption, 76 per cent of respondents choose tap water as their primary water source at home.

Across the country, Canada’s beverage producers support a variety of recycling programs. In Ontario, we work with other producers to collect packaging through the blue box, which is available in 95 per cent of households. Industry and government are working to increase recycling through the blue box in Toronto and across Ontario.

There are many reasons why consumers might choose bottled water. Whether it is convenience or an emergency, we believe there is a place for both bottled water and tap water to co-exist.

As an industry, we work diligently to manage water resources in an environmentally responsible way. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, bottled water sold in Canada represents just 0.009 per cent of the 38,300 million cubic metres of water withdrawn each year from Canada’s rivers, lakes, groundwater and oceans.

But, being responsible producers does not stop when the water is bottled. The 100-per-cent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles that are often used for bottled water are one of the most environmentally efficient consumer packages on the market. When recycled, PET bottles can be turned into everything from park slides and fleece jackets to sleeping bags, shoes and car parts.

We believe there is a place for both bottled water and tap water to co-exist and the research supports this. An overwhelming majority of Canadians enjoy tap water in their homes, while sometimes opting for bottled water as a convenient portable option. Jim Goetz, president, Canadian Beverage Association The Canadian Bottled Water Association (CBWA) takes issue with comments made by Maude Barlow in this story about a recent Statistics Canada study on bottled water consumption in Toronto-area households. Barlow call the findings “disturbing.”

The report found that bottled water was the main source of drinking water for close to 20 per cent of GTA homes between 2009 and 2015. Barlow says the results are not surprising because people are buying into a myth promoted by the bottled-water industry that tap water isn’t safe.

The bottled-water industry has never suggested tap water is not safe. In fact, the industry has said the opposite. The CBWA encourages municipalities to not only maintain their current high standards for tap water, but also to install greater public confidence in water infrastructure. We feel all Canadians should feel confident about their public services.

As for Franz Hartmann (executive director of the Toronto Environmental Alliance) and his comment about bottled-water companies taking responsibility for their waste, we’d like to invite him, and anyone else interested in recycling, to visit one of our members, Ice River Springs, whose state-of-the-art facility in Shelburne, Ont., recycles 85 per cent of the plastic in Ontario’s blue box program. In fact, it’s the only closed loop recycling facility of any beverage company in North America.

We are all for transparency, accuracy of information and an informed debate on the future of this important resource, based on science and facts, not innuendo. It’s why we set up a website called BottledWaterFacts.ca.

Too bad the Star reporter didn’t reach out to our industry for comment. Elizabeth Griswold, executive director, Canadian Bottled Water Association I would love to drink tap water but as soon as I open the tap, the chlorine smell assaults my nostrils. How can I possibly drink that and how would that benefit my body? Even with a water filter, the smell remains. I think that is why a lot of people prefer bottled water. Gisela Donia, Peterborough