Council approves million-dollar-plus plan to promote Ottawa’s water

April 16, 2010 · Filed Under Blog, Festivals and Events

A plan to buy two water trailers for outdoor festivals and events has been approved by the Planning and Environment Committee of Ottawa City Council.

The committee approved the plan by a vote of 5-3 and will hold a naming competition, as proposed by Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes, for the currently dubbed “Ottawatermobiles”.

Lynn Haggarty from the Ottawa Folk Festival wants the water trailers in place by summer. She said the festival had great success when it banned disposable plastic water bottles last summer, instead dispensing more than 3,800 litres of city water through “hydration stations.”

Orléans Councillor Bob Monette voted against the overall plan, agreeing with provincial officials that touting the quality of Ottawa’s water supply could be spread through public service announcements and other methods instead of spending additional funds.

Tags: disposable plastic water bottles, hydration stations, Ottawa City Council, Ottawa Folk Festival, water promotion