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Commissioner sets sights on bottled waterChicago Tribune – Red Eye EditionSeptember 7, 2007By Alexia Elejalde-RuizThere’s a movement in Cook County government to banish the bottle. County Commissioner Mike Quigley introduced a resolution Thursday calling for an end to county-funded purchases of individual bottles of water, the latest effort in a nationwide movement condemning the financial and environmental cost of making, transporting and disposing of plastic water bottles. “We spend a lot of money on bottled water, and the fact of the matter is that it’s an unnecessary luxury,” said Quigley, chairman of the Environmental Control Committee. Quigley’s resolution seeks a 90-day “water audit” to assess the feasibility of turning on disconnected water fountains and installing bottle-less water purification systems on county-owned property to offset the inconvenience of not having bottled water. Cities that have made similar changes have “enjoyed dramatic savings,” Quigley said. If the environment committee approves the resolution, the proposal will head to the County Board for final approval. Quigley’s office also plans to host “water challenges” throughout Cook County to show people in blind taste tests that bottled water isn’t better than tap. Stephen Kay, spokesman for the International Bottled Water Association, said Thursday that discouraging bottled water consumption is “not in the public interest” as consumers likely will instead choose to drink other, less healthy bottled beverages. Quigley’s proposal does not prohibit people from drinking bottled water on county property, but just bans county purchases of bottled water. County commissioner Tony Peraica said he supports the bottled water ban, but warned that government should be careful not to over-regulate: “There’s a fine line between this and engaging in a nanny state.”
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