Find Out If Your City/County Has a Bottled Water Contract

Information Gathering Checklist

• Does my city have a bottled water contract?
• Who has authority for deciding to cancel the contract?
• What would it take—resolution, executive order, or new rule—to change the city’s decision to purchase bottled water?
   

Bottled Water Contracts

Call city hall and ask if your city has a contract for bottled water. The budget and procurement departments are the best places to start. If yes, ask for a copy of the contract.

Find out as much as possible about the contract including: who the contract is with (Coke, Nestle, Pepsi, etc.), how much money the city spends on bottled water, and the duration of the contract.

Learn who has authority for deciding to end the contract and what action they would need to take in order to end it. (It could be the mayor, city council, department heads or the city’s procurement officer through a resolution, executive order or a rule.)
 

If Your City Does Not Have a Contract

Some cities may not have a contract with a bottled water supplier but, nonetheless, spend a lot of money on bottled water each year.

Ask city hall if there are other ways that the city is spending money on bottled water. Be prepared for them not to know. A number of cities, including San Francisco and Boston, have conducted audits to find out how much money the city spends on bottled water. These audits often compel decision-makers to cease all spending on bottled water. (San Francisco discovered they spent over $500,000 in a single year!)

You could also visit City Hall to learn more about how and where bottled water is used in city buildings. Look around for vending machines with bottled water and water coolers. Record your observations.
 

Additional Places to Find Information on City Contracts

Elected officials – your mayor and city councilors should have access to this information

Public sources of information – a good place to start is your city government’s website

Local government employees and officials - the local Board of Public Health and your local water utility may be willing to help

Community groups – conservation, social justice, or consumer rights organizations may help you navigate these processes

Local news sources and your local library – may have information about city contracts and business agreements