Conservative calls for end to bottled water on-tap!
Conservative Councillor Spud Murphy has called for an end to the provision of bottled water in Council Committee rooms and offices.
The present contract between the City Council and Eden Springs, which is due to expire in September, is expected to cost local taxpayers up to a quarter-of-a-million pounds since its inception in February 2006. Under the contract, water dispensers themselves are said to be provided free-of-charge.
Now, Cllr Murphy has raised concerns over this expense and is arguing for a switch to what he sees as perfectly adequate tap water, with the possible installation of appropriate filters where necessary, as a more cost-effective alternative.
Cllr Murphy (Con. Avonmouth) said: "The overall financial cost of this bottled water contract is quite extraordinary.
"I believe the practice of relying on sources of water to be transported around the country (usually by road) is also environmentally costly.
"It strikes me that this practice is entirely unnecessary - especially when one considers that we have perfectly safe water supplies available to consumers literally on-tap.
"These days, we also need to think about the environmental damage being caused by the thousands of used plastic cups which are being discarded each day and the electricity used to power water dispensers.
"It is perfectly possible for jugs of mains water to be made freely available to Members, office staff and visitors to Council offices on request.
"The installation of special filters, particularly in some of our older buildings, is a far more cost-effective way of providing clean, refreshing drinking water, rather than relying on deliveries from a commercial supplier.
"This must be a more sensible way forward rather than continuing with such an extravagant waste of scarce resources and the Council taxpayers' money."
