Canadian Teachers are Waiting for Over 1,900 Sponsored Kits to be Sent to their Schools

Canadian teachers are currently waiting for over 1,900 sponsored Operation Water Drop, Operation Water Pollution and Operation Water Biology kits to be sent to their schools.  Individuals and companies can sponsor kits for schools.  If you/your company sponsors kits, you/your company will be acknowledged in the letter that accompanies the kit.  You can even decide in which geographic area your kits will be dispersed or to which specific school(s).  Please e-mail info@safewater.org if you would like to sponsor Operation Water Drop, Operation Water Pollution and/or Operation Water Biology kits or if you would like more information.
 
Home Resources News In the News Bottled Watergate: Findings Expose Millions in Public Money Spent on Bottled Water
Bottled Watergate: Findings Expose Millions in Public Money Spent on Bottled Water
Written by Inside the Bottle   
Wednesday, 29 April 2009 17:48
Why is the Federal Government spending more than $7.2 million on bottled water?

HALIFAX/OTTAWA, April 29, 2009 – Findings released today by the Polaris Institute and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Nova Scotia, have exposed the Government of Canada’s practice of purchasing millions of dollars of bottled water.

The report, entitled Bottled Watergate: Why is the Federal Government spending millions of tax dollars on bottled water?, draws attention to our federal government’s growing dependence on bottled water.  Findings include:

-Since April 2006, the Government of Canada has spent more than $7,296,738 of public money on 131 separate contracts to purchase bottled water. 
-7 Federal Departments in 8 provinces are involved in the purchasing of bottled water contracts.
-The same amount of money could have been used to pay for 2,918 indoor or 584 outdoor water fountains.
-The same amount of money could have been used to upgrade a water treatment plant in a First Nations Community.

“Bottled water may serve a purpose in situations where potable drinking water is not available, or in certain emergency situations, but it is not a substitute for the tap nor is it a long-term solution,” says Joe Cressy, Campaigns Coordinator of the Polaris Institute.  “The solution is publicly delivered tap water”.

“It is deeply troubling that the Government of Canada is spending millions of dollars on bottled water,” says Danny Cavanagh, President of CUPE Nova Scotia.  “Water fountains, accessible taps, water treatment plants – just think what the Government of Canada could do if it properly invested $7.2 million dollars”. 

Findings:  The detailed findings are available at www.insidethebottle.org

For more information contact:
Joe Cressy, Polaris Institute, 613-668-5542, joecressy@polarisinstitute.org
John McCracken, CUPE Nova Scotia, 902-880-8057, jmccracken@cupe.ca