The Boston Globe-Activists urge state to use less bottled water

July 28, 2010

By David Abel

State lawmakers and environmental activists yesterday urged Governor Deval Patrick to reduce the amount of money the administration spends on bottled water.

They called on Patrick to sign an executive order limiting purchases of bottled water and increasing the amount of money being spent to upgrade the state’s water systems. They argued that relying on bottled water sets a bad example for residents and comes at the expense of support for public drinking water systems, which have a backlog of maintenance projects totaling $8.5 billion.

“Spending taxpayer money on bottled water is a misallocation of limited resources,’’ wrote Senator James B. Eldridge, an Acton Democrat and chairman of the state’s Water Infrastructure Finance Commission, in a letter sent to Patrick that was signed by 11 other lawmakers.

At a rally in front of the State House yesterday, environmental activists handed out cups of tap water and erected an exhibit to show how many bottles of water state residents consume — more than 300 million annually, they said, enough to circle the planet more than 11 times.

In fiscal year 2010, Massachusetts spent about $475,000 on bottled water and water filtration systems, down from $675,000 in 2009, said Cyndi Roy, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance.

Roy said most of the water is bought by the state Department of Correction, State Police, the Department of Developmental Services, and the Department of Children and Families, all of which have extensive contact with the public.

Lisa Capone, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said the governor has signed two related executive orders in recent years that have urged state agencies to limit the use of bottled water and other products potentially damaging to the environment.

She added that on May 1 the administration signed a contract for bottled water and water filtration devices that will make it easier for state officials to choose water filtration over bottled water.

“The administration is encouraging state agencies to eliminate the use of bottled water whenever feasible,’’ Capone said. “By moving to a single contract for drinking water services, we are encouraging and making it easier for agency managers to choose the most environmentally preferable alternative to meet their needs.’’

Capone said the state spent $507 million on drinking water projects between the 2007 and 2009 fiscal years.

“We now have underway our largest waterworks program in the Commonwealth’s history, using $177 million in federal stimulus funds to leverage nearly $800 million in improvements for drinking water and waste-water treatment systems,’’ she said.

Proponents of bottled water noted that many Massachusetts residents flocked to supermarkets to buy bottled water in the spring when a ruptured water main cut the supply of potable water to about 2 million people in the Boston area.

“The state has a responsibility to have emergency preparations in reserve,’’ said Tom Lauria, a spokesman for the International Bottled Water Association, a trade association that represents bottlers, suppliers, and distributors throughout the United States. “In addition, there are outdoor state workers who require hydration and are nowhere near a faucet.’’

Kristin Urquiza, a spokeswoman for Corporate Accountability International in Boston, which has launched a campaign called Think Outside the Bottle, said the group isn’t seeking to ban the sale of bottled water, but wants the state to eliminate “unnecessary spending’’ on it.

“We are calling on the governor to look at the amount spent on bottled water critically,’’ Urquiza said. “There are ways in which bottled water can be used, but we’re spending too much on bottled water now.’’

To read "Activists urge sate to use less bottled water" click here.

FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.