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RMOW bans bottled water

The Resort Municipality of Whistler will no longer sell bottled water at municipal buildings, recreation facilities and public parks as of May 1, after fulfilling its remaining contracts with suppliers. On Nov.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler will no longer sell bottled water at municipal buildings, recreation facilities and public parks as of May 1, after fulfilling its remaining contracts with suppliers.

On Nov. 9 Whistler Council resolved to ban the purchase and provision of bottled water, while also committing to installing water fountains in all of the municipality's facilities and parks.

Whistler is actually late to the game when it comes to banning bottled water, following 52 municipalities from eight provinces and one territory that have taken similar action. As well, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in March 2009 urged members to phase out the sale of bottled water where "potable tap water is available."

Bottled water is considered to be an environmental disaster by many, requiring up to 162 million barrels of oil a year to produce, transport and dispose of bottled water. It also requires 2,000 times more energy and creates issues for landfills and waterways.