If we truly value life, we should phase out bottled water
Water is essential for all known forms of life — a fact so many of us take for granted. It is for this reason we believe that water is a universal right that connects us with the life of creation.
Yet more and more the forces of our society seek to treat water as a commodity for profit rather than a sacred gift for life.
No more evident was this reality than during last summer’s drought when water bottlers continued to extract liquid profit during a time of public water restrictions.
March 16 is Bottled Water Free Day, a day for us to think critically about the very concept of bottling this sacred gift. Our faith communities have long sought, as a best practice, not to use bottled water; some have even banned its use outright.
Every bottle of water purchased sends a message that it is OK for multinational corporations to commodify local water sources for material gain. Worse still, every plastic bottle continues to inflict unnecessary wounds upon the Earth long after it has been discarded.
In contrast, we understand Earth’s freshwater as a common good for the benefit of all life; something that is deserving of our best care, protection and stewardship.
Next week, with World Water Day on March 22, we have yet another moment to reflect on the global importance of freshwater and to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater sources. While our thoughts may naturally flow to other parts of the Earth, the observance of this day is equally important for us here in Canada.
Climate change threatens to upturn our assumptions about reliable access to water, yet even more pressing is the reality that there are nearly 100 long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations communities. And more locally, in Wellington County alone the large water extractions happening in Aberfoyle and Hillsburgh, along with the looming potential for further extraction at the Middlebrook well in Elora, urge us to ensure that the sustainability of local groundwater sources takes precedent over commercial endeavours.
Public ownership and control of the freshwater found in our communities is essential to safeguard so that all can benefit from its life-giving qualities.
We commend Wellington Water Watchers for their advocacy in drawing attention to the significant concerns related to Ontario’s bottled water industry and its effect on our communities. Their efforts have led our provincial leaders to take action to protect local water sources for future generations. A two-year moratorium on the expansion or awarding of new permits for the extraction of groundwater by bottling companies is now in place. We applaud this decision as a sign that the provincial government is listening to the concerns of many in our communities. We are hopeful that this long-overdue review of Ontario’s policies and regulations will be a watershed moment for our society — one in which we choose to value the sanctity of life ahead of profit. But more must be done. To this end, we support the call for a strategic and compassionate phase-out of the bottled water industry in Ontario over the next decade, starting by limiting the renewals of existing water permits to current levels. Aside from a sense of misplaced convenience, there is no persuasive need for most of us to consume bottled water. More and more public facilities offer water fountains and refilling stations — an encouraging sign of a trend toward improving public access to drinking water. Any new policy must also include a duty to meaningfully consult with Indigenous peoples whose treaty rights may be adversely affected by water-taking within their traditional territories.
In the Christian tradition, we are in the midst of Lent, a time for self-examination and reflection. On this important day, in this sacred season, we invite you to examine your own practices with regards to water. In doing so, we hope you will share our view that water truly is a sacred gift and choose to come alongside the efforts of many seeking to conserve, protect and restore that which is so vital to the life of the Earth.