Water

For Immediate Release, September 16, 2009, HALIFAX – Halifax Regional Municipality has voted to immediately phase out the purchase and provision of bottled water in City Hall and ensure access to public tap water in all HRM facilities.

Regional Council also asked staff to come forward with detailed action plans before banning bottled water within all HRM facilities.

“Halifax’s decision to ban the bottle and turn on the tap is an important first step and a clear indication that bottled water’s 15 minutes are up,” says Jocelyne Rankin of the Ecology Action Centre. “While Halifax didn’t go far enough by taking the bottle out of all HRM facilities, today’s vote is a sign that we’re moving in the right direction.”

For Immediate Release, September 3, 2009 - Water fountains are disappearing on university and college campuses across Canada according to a new Polaris Institute report, Campus Water Fountains: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY.

The report uncovers a series of disturbing trends related to public drinking water access at Canadian universities and colleges:

The Good – looks at what kind of reinvestment in public tap water infrastructure is happening on campus.

The Bad – presents cases where water fountains have blatantly been excluded from new buildings.

The Ugly – explains the forces on and off campus that make it is possible for university and college planners to design and construct new buildings without water fountains.