I read with interest the column by Arthur Black in a recent edition of the Orangeville Citizen entitled, "How much is that in water?"

Mr. Black questions why so many Canadians drink bottled water in a country with a largely excellent supply of potable water.

More than 75 percent of Canadians consume bottled water each and every day because it is a portable, accessible and healthy choice. In an independent survey conducted in June 2008 by Probe Research Inc., respondents said they are not choosing bottled water over municipal tap water. They are choosing bottled water over other bottled beverages with higher calories.

Bottled water is proving to be particularly helpful at a time when the incidence of obesity and diabetes are on a significant increase amongst young Canadians born after 2000. Almost 30 percent of them are overweight or obese, are susceptible to diabetes and may be the first generation of Canadians who don't outlive their parents. There isn't another portable beverage that provides the health and wellness benefits to Canadians that bottled water dos — and they need encouragement from the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, local municipalities like Orangeville, industry players like ourselves and the media if we hope to blunt the advance of obesity and diabetes in this country. A concerning post-script from the Probe study: About 60 percent of bottled water drinkers said they will revert to less healthy alternatives found in plastic beverage containers if bottled water isn't available.

We at Nestlé Waters Canada strongly encourage Orangeville residents to drink more water, whether it's tap water or bottled water. We also encourage the Province of Ontario and the Town of Orangeville to work with our industry and ourselves to find ways to recycle more plastic bottles in this community. The current recycling rate in Ontario is about 75 percent. That's good. Could it be better? Yes. We believe we may have a solution. We and our industry partners recently entered into a $6 million, three-year agreement with the Government of Quebec and municipalities across that province to collect and recycle plastic beverage containers and other recyclable materials in public spaces. The pilot program that triggered this agreement resulted in, on average, an 85 percent participation rate amongst consumers and businesses. We would be interested in participating in a similar program in Ontario.

In closing, Canadians have been drinking bottled water for almost 125 years. They should feel confident that they are doing the right thing from a health and wellness perspective as as well from an environmental standpoint because they absolutely are. And, at 30 cents a litre or less by the case, it's still the most economical, commercially-produced beverage there is — and far cheaper than a litre of gasoline.
John B. Challinor II
APR Director of
Corporate Affairs
Nestlé Waters Canada