September 6, 2007, CBC News - Perrier water has been washed off the menu at the Oz Kafé in downtown Ottawa. On Wednesday evening, owner Oz Balpinar hosted the launch of a new edition of a book describing the reasons why people might want to choose tap water instead, Inside the Bottle by Tony Clarke.
Oz Balpinar, owner of Ottawa's Oz Kafé, said serving Perrier from France didn't fit well with her goal of buying from local suppliers. Oz Balpinar, owner of Ottawa's Oz Kafé, said serving Perrier from France didn't fit well with her goal of buying from local suppliers.
Balpinar said she removed Perrier from the menu at her Elgin Street restaurant because the carbonated water from France didn't fit with her goal of buying from local suppliers; she also worried about the empty glass bottles ending up in a landfill.
"I personally don't like the taste of bottled water," she said. "I don't know how long they sit in the plastic bottles and I find sometimes the taste is off-putting."
She added that she believes Ottawa has a "good fresh" supply of tap water, and that is now the only water she serves to her customers.
Elizabeth Griswold, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Bottled Water Association, said her industry's product remains popular. "Bottled water has always been a safe, high-quality beverage of choice for consumers," she said.
Nevertheless, Balpinar represents part of a growing movement against the bottled water industry. Those who have spoken out on the issue include David Suzuki, the United Church of Canada, the mayor of San Francisco and, of course, Clarke, who launched the second edition of his book at Balpinar's restaurant on Wednesday.
Author Tony Clarke says bottled water is subject to less regulation and testing than tap water.Author Tony Clarke says bottled water is subject to less regulation and testing than tap water.
Clarke is the director of the Ottawa-based Polaris Institute, an organization that aims to help citizens "unmask and challenge" corporate influence on government policy.
He argues that bottled water, which is mainly distributed by large food and beverage companies, is not necessarily safer than tap water, as it is subject to less regulation and testing.
"When independent studies that have been done show that within bottled water there are often traces of arsenic and mercury and bromate and other carcinogens of certain kinds," he said, "we have to ask ourselves the question: Why is this not being regulated to the same extent that tap water is?"
Griswold said there has never been a case of illness in Canada from drinking bottled water.