6. PLAN FOR PROMOTING MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER

PLAN POUR LA PROMOTION DE L’EAU POTABLE MUNICIPALE

Committee recommendationS as amended

That Council approve:

1. The 5-year Plan for Promoting Municipal Drinking Water set out in this report.

2. That the City of Ottawa launch a competition to name the water trailers.

RecommandationS modifiÉes DU Comité

Que le Conseil approuve :

1. le plan quinquennal pour la promotion de l’eau potable municipale exposé dans le présent rapport.

2. le lancement d’un concours visant à nommer les deux remorques-citernes.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated 6 April 2010 (ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0001).

2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 13 April 2010.

Report to / Rapport au:

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

6 April 2010 / le 6 avril 2010

Submitted by/Soumis par:

Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager / Directeur municipal adjointe

Infrastructure Services & Community Sustainability / Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités

Contact Person/Personne resource : Dixon Weir, General Manager/Directeur général

Environmental Services Department/Services environnementaux

613-580-2424 x 22002, dixon.weir@ottawa.ca

City Wide/À l’échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0001

SUBJECT: PLAN FOR PROMOTING MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER

OBJET: PLAN POUR LA PROMOTION DE L’EAU POTABLE MUNICIPALE

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve the 5-year Plan for Promoting Municipal Drinking Water set out in this report.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande que le Conseil approuve le plan quinquennal pour la promotion de l’eau potable municipale exposé dans le présent rapport.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is in response to Planning and Environment Committee and Council direction to develop a program aimed at promoting the use of Ottawa’s world-class quality drinking water.

The City spends approximately $121 million annually to supply drinking water described by Ontario’s Chief Drinking Water Inspector as “one of the safest in the world”.[1] Through Committee and Council motions, it is clear Council wants to more effectively communicate the advantages of enjoying and promoting drinking water to its residents, and to ensure that access to City drinking water in municipal facilities is readily available. Increasing the use of tap water can also have the side-effects of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of waste going to landfills, both 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan objectives.

To establish a baseline of the public’s perception toward City of Ottawa drinking water and use habits, a telephone survey of ratepayers was carried out in fall 2009. Approximately 70% of Ottawa households surveyed are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the quality and safety of the municipal drinking water supply.[2] However, the balance of those surveyed feel less than confident in the water supply, feel the need to treat it, or to buy bottled water for their domestic use.

As directed by Council, PEC Strategic Priorities 2009-2010: Alignment to Departmental Work Plans Report, tabled in June 2009, staff have prepared a five-year plan for improving public confidence in, and public access to, municipal drinking water.

The following five-year objectives address both “public confidence” and “public accessibility” issues.

Phase

Timing

Objectives

2009-2010

· Carryout promotional activities that raise awareness of the safety of the City’s drinking water supply.

· Improve access to municipal drinking water at public events.

· Implement water fountain improvements at indoor facilities.

2011-2013

· Continue and expand the promotion of City drinking water.

· Investigate opportunities to improve access at outdoor facilities.

· Implement measures that improve public access outdoors.

· Secure broad scale confidence in the municipal water supply.

RÉSUMÉ

Le présent rapport fait suite à la demande du Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement, et du Conseil, d’élaborer un programme visant à promouvoir l’utilisation de l’eau potable d’Ottawa de qualité internationale.

La Ville dépense environ 121 millions de dollars par année pour fournir une eau potable décrite comme « l’une des plus sûres au monde »¹ par l’inspecteur en chef de l’eau potable de l’Ontario.

Le Conseil veut communiquer plus efficacement ce fait aux résidents, encourager le public à utiliser l’eau potable municipale plutôt que l’eau vendue commercialement, et optimiser de cette façon l’utilisation du réseau d’aqueduc et les revenus nécessaires à son soutien.

En outre, le Conseil aimerait faire en sorte que les gens aient facilement accès à l’eau municipale dans les installations de la municipalité.

Pour établir une base de référence sur l’impression du public à l’égard de l’eau potable de la Ville d’Ottawa et sur ses habitudes d’utilisation, on a effectué un sondage téléphonique auprès des contribuables à l’automne 2009. Environ 70 % des ménages d’Ottawa sondés sont « satisfaits » ou « très satisfaits » de la qualité et de la sûreté de l’approvisionnement en eau potable municipale². Toutefois, le reste des personnes sondées n’ont pas du tout confiance dans l’approvisionnement en eau, et éprouvent le besoin de traiter l’eau municipale, ou d’acheter de l’eau embouteillée pour l’utilisation domestique.

À cette fin, le personnel a préparé un plan quinquennal pour améliorer la confiance du public dans l’eau potable municipale, ainsi que son accès, selon la demande du rapport sur les Priorités stratégiques du CUE 2009‑2010 : harmonisation avec les plans de travail du Service déposé en juin 2009.

Les objectifs quinquennaux suivants abordent à la fois les enjeux « de confiance du public » et « d’accessibilité du public » de manière progressive.

Étape		Calendrier		Objectifs
1	2009‑2010		· Se livrer à des activités de promotion qui sensibilisent le public à la qualité de l’eau potable de la Ville. · Améliorer l’accès à l’eau potable municipale lors d’événements publics. · Améliorer les fontaines à eau potable dans les installations intérieures.
2	2011‑2013		· Poursuivre et accroître la promotion de l’eau potable municipale. · Examiner les possibilités d’améliorer l’accès dans les installations intérieures. · Mettre en place des mesures qui améliorent l’accès public à l’extérieur. · Obtenir la confiance du grand public dans l’approvisionnement en eau municipale.

BACKGROUND

In December 2007, Planning and Environment Committee passed a motion: that staff, in consultation with the City’s Environmental Working Group, develop a strategy to among other things:

· Reinstate water fountains and install new fountains in City of Ottawa facilities; and encourage citizens to drink tap water and encourage the use of public drinking fountains.

This report satisfies that direction, and helps fulfill objectives in the City 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan aimed at reducing the amount of waste going to landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Also, in March 2009, Council approved Results of the Planning and Environment Committee Strategic Planning Session - Strategic Priorities for 2009-2010 (ACS2009-ICS-DCM-0001) that included the following priorities for the former Water and Wastewater Services Branch, and now the Environmental Services Department:

· Rebuild the brand; and

· Rebuild public trust.

In June 2009, the report PEC Strategic Priorities 2009-2010: Alignment to Departmental Work Plans was received by Planning and Environment Committee, which set out how staff proposed to meet the strategic priorities of the Committee. With respect to rebuilding the brand and trust in the public water supply, several items were proposed, including the following:

· Developing a comprehensive Strategic Communications Plan;

· Promoting the benefits of municipal drinking water during Drinking Water Week, at Doors Open and various Home Shows;

· Designing and implementing ads for buses, bus shelters and City vehicles;

· Developing and/or updating and distributing a variety of public information notices, education brochures and reports;

· Developing communications material appropriate for reinstatement of public tours at the water purification plants that target specific groups; and,

· Investigating the feasibility of using a travelling water tank for complimentary access to potable water for drinking and hand washing at outdoor events and festivals.

In order to direct efforts most effectively, in 2009 a survey of 702 households connected to the municipal water supply was conducted to determine attitudes towards, and use patterns of, City drinking water. Survey highlights are:

· Approximately two thirds of respondents felt that the City’s water supply is safe;

· Just over half of the households consume City water without further treatment (e.g. filtering);

· Almost half use a second source of drinking water in their homes (e.g. bottled water); and,

· Approximately one quarter cite concern about water quality as a reason for discomfort with using drinking water fountains, with cleanliness being the leading reason.

The City continues to hear from residents who want improved access to municipal drinking water as an alternative to single-use, packaged water. Councillors have heard that the community desires access to environmentally sustainable drinking water options when visiting community facilities and events. While drinking fountains exist at most facilities, there remains considerable opportunity for the City to improve access.

New fountains are typically added as part of new City facility construction, or when related complaints are received and budget permits installation. In 2009, only one such complaint was received regarding the lack of a water source. Conversely, water fountains are occasionally removed from service when serviced by older plumbing and/or when the fountain itself is found to be contributing to poorer water quality.

DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS

The following is Ottawa’s “Plan for Promoting Municipal Drinking Water”. The purpose of the Plan is to improve public confidence in the municipal water supply and to provide ready access to the municipal water supply where it is safe and reasonable to do so.

Goals

· Increase public confidence in the municipal drinking water supply.

· Optimize use of the municipal drinking water supply and increase revenues.

· Increase public access to the drinking water supply at municipal facilities.

Targets

Success of the plan is to be assessed using the following measurable targets:

Measurable Targets		Existing 2009[3]	2013 Target	Long-term Goal
1.	Percentage of Ottawa ratepayers that state that they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the quality of Ottawa’s municipal drinking water.	71.7%	80%	90%
2.	Percentage of Ottawa ratepayers that state that they are “confident” or “very confident” in the safety of Ottawa’s municipal water supply.	69.4%	80%	90%
3.	Percentage of Ottawa ratepayers that state that City water is their only source of household drinking water.	53.7%	65%	75%
4.	Percentage of Ottawa ratepayers that state that they would likely take municipal drinking water in a reusable drink container on an outing (e.g. jogging or car trip).	50.7%	65%	75%
5.	Percentage of Ottawa ratepayers that state that they do not further treat City water (e.g. by filtration) prior to consumption.	44.9%	55%	75%
6.	Percentage of Ottawa residents that state that they are “comfortable” or “very comfortable” using a municipal drinking fountain.[4]	Indoors 50.7% Outdoors 41.6%	60%

Implementation

The following sections identify the specific objectives of each phase, the activities to be carried out, the recommended timing and funding, and a description of work completed to date.

Phase 1 Objectives

· Carry out promotional activities that raise awareness of the safety of the City’s drinking water supply.

· Improve access to municipal drinking water at public events.

· Implement water fountain improvements at indoor facilities.

Timing: 2009-2010

Budget: $150,000 in 2009 and

$216,000 in 2010.[5]

Planned Activities/Status

A variety of activities were carried out in 2009 to achieve these objectives, specifically:

· Communication materials[6] were developed for use and distribution, including:

o Ads for bus boards, bus shelters, and City utility vehicles

o Updated Lead Pipe Replacement Program and Residential Protective Plumbing Program brochures

o “I drink tap water” buttons

o Newspaper ads

o Public Service Announcements

o News Releases

o Fact Sheets

o Children’s Activity books and quizzes

o “Drinking Water Week” posters displayed at all City facilities and Client Service Centres

o 2008 Annual Drinking Water Systems Reports

· The following events were held during Drinking Water Week, 03-09 May 2009:

o Proclamation from the Mayor;

o Media kick-off and tour of the Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant filtration expansion project;

o Library displays at each of the 33 public libraries; and,

o New webpage on Ottawa.ca;

· The City hosted Doors Open at Britannia Water Purification Plant, with over 1,300 attending the weekend of 06-07 June 2009;

· A booth was staffed at the spring and fall Home Shows and several other public events held over the course of the year;

· Over 1,800 water efficiency kits and leak detection dye tabs were distributed;

· City Briefs notices to promote use of municipal water supply with City staff;

· Consulted with other jurisdictions regarding the alternative approaches to providing mobile complimentary access to potable water for drinking at outdoor events and festivals;

· A baseline survey was completed for future program evaluation; and

· An inventory of water fountains was taken at City facilities. Most facilities have fountains; however, a list of City-owned buildings was developed for further consideration in 2010.

Additional activities planned for 2010 include the following:

· Purchase two water trailers along with associated vehicles to serve as an Ottawatermobile for use at the City’s many outdoor festivals and events;

· Promote availability of the Ottawatermobile amongst festival organizers;

· Reinstate public tours of the Britannia Water Purification Plant, including:

o Develop communications material that targets specific tour groups;

o Retain a plant tour coordinator/guide;

· Create a video that informs the public of the work we do, and illustrates the water cycle from sky to river for use at Home Shows and other events;

· Purchase and supply City of Ottawa refillable water bottles;

· Review opportunities for the redesign the City of Ottawa’s Water website for usability and functionality, as well as currency of information; and

· Install new drinking fountains at a limited number of high visibility, high priority facilities in 2011.

Phase 2 Objectives

· Continue and expand the promotion of City drinking water.

· Investigate opportunities to improve access at outdoor facilities.

· Implement measures that improve public access outdoors.

· Secure broad scale confidence in the municipal drinking water supply.

Timing: 2011-2013

Budget: $790,000[7] over 3 years

Planned Activities

The following activities are planned for Phase 2, but are subject to future budget approval.

· Review City standards and specifications to ensure that fountains are installed in all new facilities in appropriate locations and number; that the units are a functionally attractive option; and that their design allows for the filling of reusable water containers.

· Investigate the quality of the existing outdoor drinking fountain network, and assess opportunities for improvement.

· Develop an “Outdoor Drinking Fountain Strategy” that targets key areas of the City requiring improved service or access, and bring forward funding request to implement.

· Implement “Outdoor Drinking Fountain Strategy” on a priority location basis, as funding permits.

· Promote water fountain use.

· Sustain other promotional activities.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

Encouraging and facilitating the use of municipal drinking water in lieu of single-use water bottles allows for greater energy efficiency in the delivery of water to consumers; and a reduction in the solid waste generated from single-use containers.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

The strategy accounts for situations in City facilities in rural areas where drinking fountains and other reasonable alternatives to single use water bottles do not exist.

CONSULTATION / PUBLIC NOTIFICATION

The proposed strategy was presented to the Environmental Advisory Committee. Given that the strategy targets City Staff and City facilities, broader public consultation was not completed.

COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)

This report is City Wide, Councillors were not consulted.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATION

Not applicable.

CITY STRATEGIC PLAN

By promoting the use of City drinking water and thereby reducing the use of single use packaged water, the City would be advancing the City’s Solid Waste and the Environment Priority, Objective 1: Reduce residential dependence on landfills/dumps by 30 per cent within 1,000 days.

Further, by promoting and improving access to the City’s readily available, high quality drinking water, the City would also be contributing to Objective 3: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 per cent by 2012.

TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS

This report has no technical implications.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATION

Phase 1 costs for 2010 in the amount of $216,000 are included in the 2010 Rate Budget. Phase 2 costs totalling $790,000 over three years will be included and identified in the 2011 through 2013 Draft Rate and Tax Budgets.

Over time, a portion of these costs should be recovered due to increased revenues associated with increased use of the municipal water supply as people choose City water in favour of commercial water sources.

From a consumer’s point-of-view, increased availability and reliance on the City’s high quality drinking water, will allow consumers to avoid higher cost alternatives. As an example, filling 1,000 500 ml re-usable water containers will only cost approximately $1.40.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 – Key Findings of the 2009 Residential Water Use Survey

DISPOSITION

· Environmental Services Department in partnership with Corporate Communications Branch will carryout the promotion activities identified herein.

· Public Works Department will complete the water fountain installations, prepare an Outdoor Drinking Fountain Strategy and carryout any improvements thereunder as approved by Council.

PLAN FOR PROMOTING MUNICIPAL DRINKING WATER

PLAN POUR LA PROMOTION DE L’EAU POTABLE MUNICIPALE

ACS2010-ICS-ESD-0001 CITY WIDE/ À L’ECHELLE DE LA VILLE

The following correspondence was received with respect to this matter and is held on file with the City Clerk:

· Memorandum dated 12 April 2010 from the Environmental Advisory Committee

· E-mail dated 7April 2010 from Ruth McVeigh

· E-mail dated 8 April 2010 from John Sankey

· E-mail dated 8 April 2010 from Klaus Beltzner

· E-mail dated 8 April 2010 from Sarah Levesque-Walker

· E-mail dated 10 April 2010 from Bob Taylor

· E-mail dated 14 April 2010 from Zsofia Orosz, Dalhousie Community Association

Dixon Weir, General Manager of Environmental Services, provided an overview of the staff report. He was accompanied by Michael Burt, Manager of Customer Services, and Angela Buchanan, Program Manager of Public Information. He explained that the report responded issues identified in the strategic plan developed by Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) in 2009, particularly around the concept of rebuilding the public trust. He emphasized that in developing the plan staff was able to take advantage of a great deal of connection with the public, both through numerous meetings and through surveys. He indicated the results of the surveys showed that, while there is much confidence in the City’s drinking water among many sectors of the population, there is an opportunity for greater understanding and awareness of how high quality the drinking water is. The plan seeks to give customers better knowledge and awareness of the value that they are getting, allowing them to take better advantage of a service that provides more value than other sources of drinking water.

Mr. Weir highlighted the new concept, recently approved in the 2010 budget, to provide water trailers e suited to providing and promoting the City’s water at outdoor festivals and events. Staff is in the process of securing two such vehicles, tentatively named “Ottawatermobiles.”

Mr. Weir emphasized that having more residents take advantage of the drinking water resource would be advantageous to both residents and the City. From an environmental perspective, he suggested the plan helps achieve some of Council’s strategic goals related to reducing reliance on landfills reducing greenhouse gases.

In response to question form Councillor Hume with respect to the installation of water fountains in City facilities, Mr. Weir explained that staff undertook an evaluation with the Public Works Department and have identified some areas where fountains can be installed. The high-priority, high-visibility facilities would be selected first, along with those that for some reason have had a water fountain removed. With respect to the funding for the fountain installation, Mr. Weir explained that the funding in 2010 would be largely focused on prioritizing and identifying where fountains should be, and the installation of a few fountains at very high profile areas. The bulk of the funding for fountains is proposed for 2011 through 2013, which is one of the contributors to the increased budget requirement in future years, as installation of fountains represents a significant capital outlay.

Councillor Hume asked staff if they could identify where the first fountains would be located, and if they could do so before Council. Mr. Weir indicated that they would do so.

In response to questions from the Chair, Mr. Weir commented that Environmental Services had not been offering tours at either of the City’s water treatment facilities in recent years, as they had lacked the capacity to offer the service. The plan is intended to give the capacity to provide such tours, which he suggested was in line with PEC’s outreach strategy. He noted the tours had been well received when they were offered in the past, and staff had recently received indications of support and interest from the community in helping develop the program. Mr. Weir also highlighted the intent to have a virtual tour available through the City’s website. He suggested these initiatives represented a good opportunity for schools and anyone else interested in the facilities. It was noted there were currently 50 requests pending for tours of the facilities.

In response to questions from Councillor Hume with regards to the $216,000 already approved in the 2010 budget, Mr. Weir explained that of the funding Council had already approved, over $115,000 was dedicated towards the water trailers. The remaining piece would continue with the promotional tools and enhancement of those tools that were developed the previous year.

In response to questions from Councillor Holmes, Mr. Weir emphasized that, while a side benefit of the plan would likely be increased water sales, the primary objective was to benefit residents and ensure they can take better advantage of the existing service.

Councillor Holmes suggested there may be a greater number of people not drinking tap water than what is reflected in the survey, based on what she had heard from residents. She suggested many residents think the water is unsafe as a result of sewage stories in the media in recent years.

In response to questions from Councillor Holmes, Mr. Weir referenced a visual display representing one cubic metre of City drinking water. Mr. Weir explained that a cubic meter of drinking water comes at a cost of approximately $1.28, significantly less than bottled sources of water. Along with that value comes a quality assurance, including some 400 different compounds and parameters, and over 100,000 sample results. Mr. Weir confirmed that the visual aid had been located at the City’s Britannia facility, but there had not been the resources for staff to bring it out into the community as a promotional tool; however, with the money allocated in the 2010 budget for this plan, they would be able to do that.

In light of any upcoming motions, Councillor Holmes wanted to caution against eliminating the future years’ budget allocation for the program, as she did not want to see the City start promotional programs such as tours for school groups, only to take them away the next year.

Councillor Monette noted that he had some questions with regards to where the 2011-2013 funding would be allocated, noting he would be bringing forward a motion with respect to that funding. He noted that there was a $790,000 allocation for 2011 to 2013, with $600,000 going towards promotions. He asked staff for a breakdown of what that $600,000 would be spent on. Mr. Weir explained that amount was a budget allowance. As staff roll out the 2010 plan, they would be able to provide a more rigorous costing around some of those items. He indicated staff had identified, for the years 2011-2013, $600,000 for promotion; $100,000 for the installation of new indoor fountains; $75,000 for outdoor fountains and $15,000 for the review of the fountain design specifications. Mr. Weir explained that the allocation for promotions included an allowance for additional surveys, suggesting part of the performance benefit will be to revisit the survey that was conducted in 2009 to see how effective the promotional materials had been in moving towards the 2013 target and long-range goals.

Councillor Monette suggested that, given that the province has identified that Ottawa has one of the best drinking water systems in the world, it was questionable to spend another $600,000 in surveys and promotions when the City is facing a 2009 rate-supported deficit of $5.579M, and are increasing the user fees. He proposed that the $600,000 be put towards the deficit rather than towards promotion and surveys. He indicated his support for the water fountains and the fountain feasibility study, agreeing the City should promote the use of fountains and make it easier for residents to use them.

Councillor Monette then introduced the following motion:

WHEREAS the drinking water program sustained a deficit of $5.579M in 2009, and;

WHEREAS City Council passed a three year plan to increase the user fees for Water and Waste Water budget by 9% until 2010;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the funds designated for promotion part of the plan, promoting municipal drinking water for the years 2011 through 2013, in the amount of $600,000, be integrated into the budget to offset the 2009 deficit.

He suggested that the City should be promoting the water system by means of regular updates, regular public announcements, through the website, or through the billing system. He questioned the need to spend another $600,000 in 2011-2013. He suggested what had been done to date was good, and suggested at a certain point residents know that drinking water is safe. He encouraged Committee members to consider his motion.

In response to questions from Councillor Hume with regards to the survey, Mr. Weir confirmed that the survey was of 700 homes, all of which were located within the serviced areas. With regards to the results, Mr. Weir confirmed staff’s analysis is that the 53.7 per cent who rely exclusively on tap water do not buy bottled water, and confirmed his understanding that those ratepayers would likely take municipal water in a reusable bottle rather than buy bottled water.

In response to further questions from Councillor Hume, Mr. Weir suggested that the plan fits with the City’s strategic direction on a number of fronts, including taking best advantage of the City’s services, reducing reliance on landfills and reducing the generation of greenhouse gas emissions. For ratepayers, it is an advantage in avoided costs because the more residents can continue to rely on the City’s water, the less they have to purchase at a comparatively high price.

In response to further questions from the Chair relating to water trailers, Mr. Weir confirmed that the intent is to have them out at as many events as possible, which could include sporting events such as Hope Beach Volleyball or the National Capital Race Weekend. Mr. Weir indicated that Toronto has water trailers, and Vancouver was looking into purchasing similar vehicles.

In response to questions from Councillor Qadri, Mr. Weir indicated that they had not explored involving a private partner in the vehicle program. He indicated that they could certainly look at sponsorship and other opportunities to help defray the cost. He suggested the program not be deferred until such opportunities were investigated; rather, he favoured continuing with the development phase and seek sponsorships where possible. He suggested once the vehicles are out in the community, they would become more attractive to potential sponsors. He also wished to caution that, as the water trailers were intended to promote the City’s drinking water, care should be taken not to lose that promotional value though other connections.

Councillor Qadri emphasized that several City programs were associated with private partners, noting private vendors use the City’s low-flow toilet refund as a marketing tool for their businesses. He suggested the City should be working with private partners to get their support on this program.

Councillor Hunter expressed support for the idea of water trailers, though he was worried by the lack of detail. He wondered how these trailers differed from the trailers called “water buffalo” that are used by military units, suggesting those could potentially be available for the City to borrow. Neither Mr. Weir nor Mr. Burt was familiar with the water buffalo specifically. With respect to the design of the tank that the City is looking to procure, Mr. Burt explained that staff had several requirements; one such requirement was that the tank be towable without an elevated drivers’ licence class, so that summer students could bring it from site to site. The planned tank would hold 2500 litres (2.5 cubic meters) and would be equipped with water nozzles, drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations on either side, plus a lowered station at the back for those with limited mobility. Councillor Hunter suggested these specifications were similar to those of the water buffalo. Mr. Burt confirmed that he would take the Councillor’s direction and look into the water buffalo.

Councillor Bellemare noted that this report had originated with a motion approved by PEC in December 2007 asking staff to develop a strategy to, among other things, reinstate water fountains and install new fountains in City of Ottawa facilities, encourage citizens to drink tap water and encourage the use of public drinking fountains. He suggested that the best way to promote City water was to offer the service as widely as possible, through drinking fountains. He suggested the focus should be on this rather than on advertising and promotions. He expressed interest in seeing concrete numbers on how many drinking fountains the City had introduced in parks since the December 2007 motion was adopted.

Mr. Weir, while he did not have those figures on hand, indicated he could certainly obtain that information as to the number of parks with fountains, or fountains that have been installed in parks. He imagined the number would be relatively low, as there had not been an active promotion of installing them He indicated he could speak to Public Works to see the number that have been installed in new parks recently, as there have been some.

Councillor Bellemare suggested that the proposed plan was backwards. He noted the first phase emphasized promotion, followed by installation of some water fountains in certain high profile locations, before investigating to install drinking fountains in public facilities and parks. He suggested it would be better to start with the fountains, and once the City is providing the service as widely as possible in parks and facilities then go towards promotion of the service. He expressed his disappointment that little progress had been made since 2007 in introducing drinking fountains to parks, and reinstating those drinking fountains had been decommissioned, and his disappointment that the plan was not anticipating much progress on that front in the coming years.

Mr. Weir explained that staff tried to focus the strategy on the early achievable activities, while developing a longer-term strategy for sustaining the promotion and increasing the access by coordinating with parks development to install fountains both in parks and facilities. Now that the necessary capital funding has been secured to initiate that, staff will develop a prioritization of those parks and facilities that would require fountains moving into the years 2011 to 2013.

Committee then heard from the following public delegations:

Larry Wade, Ottawa Water Study Action Group (OWSAG), spoke in support of the plan. He explained that OWSAG was three-year-old group dedicated to supporting municipal water. He expressed the group’s support for all aspects of the plan, in particular all efforts to rebuild public trust in the municipal water system.

He suggested there were two types of argument against the proposal: justified and unjustified. The first, unjustified argument was that the quality of municipal water is low, and is exceeded by bottled water. He suggested the City do everything possible to counter this perception via education, and advocated putting considerable resources towards working with local schools. He suggested adult education was equally vital, relating a conversation with some recent immigrants who were under the assumption that they needed to boil water before drinking it, and thus bought bottled. He noted even those who had lived in Canada a long time did not trust public services, and were educating their children to do the same. Mr. Wade suggested the more understandable arguments against City water include the fact that there have been public waste spills, and existing issues with school water taps leading parents to question their safety. He suggested such concerns must be addressed by the City in a scrupulous, quick, and transparent fashion.

Mr. Wade had several additional suggestions. First, he recommended that if the City goes ahead with the plan to purchase and supply City of Ottawa refillable water bottles, it should avoid the types of plastic containers known to be objectionable and ensure even metal bottles are tested by reputable labs to avoid any concerns with possible contamination.

Secondly, he wished to remind Committee that the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) had stated that municipalities should phase out the sale and purchase of bottled water at their own facilities, where appropriate, and where potable water is available. He noted an increasing number of jurisdictions across the country had banned the sale of bottled water on their premises, and hoped Ottawa take a more leading role in this respect. He urged Councillors to recognize that banning the sale of bottled water would not be anti-business; rather it would emphasize the City’s determination not to allow the interest of the bottled water industry to trump the collective best interest of citizens.

Mr. Wade expressed support for the planned installation of outdoor public water fountains. Further, in order to have the public believe the City is friendly to its needs, he suggested that new inter-urban transportation facilities include public toilets. Finally, he suggested any education materials promoting municipal water include information specifically designed for the benefit of new Canadians. He surmised that increased municipal water consumption would increase the income to the City by several hundred thousand dollars over the following few years. He concluded by noting that a cubic metre contains 2000 500ml bottles, which at the minimum price of $1 a bottle costs the public $2000, plus the amount of money that must be spent in disposing of the bottles, compared with $1.28 for the City water.

Lynn Haggarty, Ottawa Folk Festival, spoke in support of the plan, in particular the proposal to purchase water trailers for use at outdoor festivals and events. She noted the Folk Festival’s reputation for environmental leadership. She explained that the previous summer, in collaboration with several local partners, they became the first Ottawa festival to go water bottle free, providing hydration stations at key points on the Britannia Park site where people could refill their water bottles. She explained the hydration station, and showed several photographs of it, which are held on file with the City Clerk. She noted the tank was continuously filled with direct City water.

Ms. Haggarty explained that the hydration stations and volunteers were provided by the Water Store, and Orillia-based company interested in piloting that service at our festival, and a donation by CUPE local 503 enabled the festival to sell stainless steel water bottles to those who came without their own. In collaboration with Ottawa Riverkeeper, the festival also distributed fact sheets outlining reasons to say no to bottled water. She highlighted that, by the end of the festival, 3819 litres had been dispensed, diverting the equivalent of 7638 plastic water bottles from landfill sites.

Ms. Haggerty explained that the water-dispensing unit was a free pilot project for one year only, and that to have the same unit for another year would cost the festival $5000, well beyond the festival’s capacity to pay for, and beyond what they feel is reasonable price to pay for City water, a public resource. Therefore, she encouraged the City to fast-track the introduction of their water trailers in time for the summer festival season, or at least in time for the Folk Festival in August. She expressed the festival's willingness to work with staff to expedite the project, by providing input to specifications, piloting the system of transport, set up and delivery, in addition to providing volunteers to staff the water trailer the festival to help offset costs.

She also urged the City to provide the water trailers at no cost to City of Ottawa festivals, which struggle to contain costs. She suggested the service would be a good public relations tool for Ottawa to promote its excellent water and the City’s commitment to environmental issues.

In response to questions from Councillor Hunter, Mr. Weir stated that the cost to the City for the amount of water used by the Folk Festival would have been around $10.

Joe Cressy, Polaris Institute, spoke in support of the plan. He explained that his Ottawa-based organization had worked with municipalities around the country on initiatives to promote and reinvest in public water. He raised the following points:

· The City of Ottawa spends $121 million a year to provide drinking water, a service that people are using less frequently.

· Despite the fact that Ottawa, like many Canadian cities, has some of the safest drinking water in the world, a third of Canadians drink bottled water as their primary source of drinking water.

· Not only are fewer residents comfortable drinking from water fountains, there are fewer fountains around. The Ontario building codes do not require water fountains to be put in new buildings.

· Bottled water companies do a very good job marketing their product, and cities need to do the same in order to compete.

· The problem requires comprehensive approach that includes tackling the issues of public confidence in municipal water, promoting the service, and improving access to the service. He suggested this report takes that approach. He highlighted the issue of the water trailers, which are a form of promotion as well as a form of access.

· He surmised that the $750,000 in funding for 2011-2013 was largely directed to the outdoor drinking water strategy and represented costs for infrastructure.

· Over 18 municipalities have had success with water trailers, including Toronto, Stratford, Guelph, Ajax, Oshawa, and Vancouver. With the exception of Toronto’s, they were all purchased from one company, and allow for transportation, on-the-spot filtration and multiple tap dispensing units. .

Mr. Cressy raised the following ideas related to promoting City water that had been adopted by other jurisdictions, suggesting Ottawa could explore them:

· Metro Vancouver is launching a mobile phone application that allows you, whenever you’re on the go, to find out where the nearest water fountain is.

· The City of London has designed their own reusable water bottles, which are used to increase revenues and market their water.

· Ohio and Florida became the first states in North America to codify water fountains, such that all new buildings must include water fountains.

Mr. Cressy concluded by stating that the responsibility of a City is to provide safe and accessible drinking water, and unfortunately cities are providing the same amount of water to fewer residents because they’re not drinking it. He suggested it was time for Ottawa to promote their water and become a water leader, joining over 100 other municipalities that have done so over the past year, as encouraged by the FCM and AMO.

In response to questions from Councillor Hume, Mr. Cressy suggested water promotion initiatives had not generated a great deal of controversy in other municipalities. He also expressed the opinion that the recommendations of the report were a good default option, but felt the City could go much further. He suggested the controversial stand related to banning bottled water, and expressed his surprise that people would find promoting City water and ensuring access to it to be controversial.

In response to questions from Councillor Doucet, Mr. Cressy suggested it was beyond debate that not everyone believes City water is great, as evidenced by the City’s surveys and those done by his organization and Statistics Canada. Councillor Doucet noted that everybody used to drink from the tap because there was no alternative. Now, they are buying bottled water, which is often treated water from other municipalities.

Mr. Cressy confirmed that some bottled water was indeed municipal water from other jurisdicions, noting Dasani and Aquafina brands were municipal water. He emphasized that it was no longer enough to just provide the water, as cities are now in competition with bottled water companies that produce a product that cities pay for through landfills and recycling. Councillor Doucet agreed the City had major problem promoting its water, in addition to having to deal with disposal of all the plastic bottles.

Mr. Cressy wished to emphasize that the issue was access in addition to promotion, and that the City needed to ensure access to water via drinking fountains in order for them to be a viable alternative to bottled water.

Councillor Hunter suggested that the reason some people buy bottled water is not safety, but rather taste. Some people are willing to pay extra for the taste of bottled water. He noted that City of Ottawa water is bottled and distributed by a company in Nepean. He noted that the water trailers referenced by Mr. Cressy filtered the water, and wondered if it was a mixed message to have the vehicle promoting the City’s water filtering that water. Mr. Cressy suggested that the filtration was largely due to the fact that it is not safe to keep water stagnant in a large tank, and it has to be kept constantly circulating. He suggested if Council wanted the details on the best options, they should go to the providers of such trailer, such as Cool Earth, who are at the forefront of positive initiatives in ways to provide water.

Councillor Wilkinson noted that she had some dealings with this subject in her role as a member of the FCM board of directors. In response to questions from the Councillor, Mr. Cressy reiterated that cities have to promote their water to ensure public confidence in it, as well provide access to their public water infrastructure so that people do not have to turn to bottled water. He noted the Polaris institute also urges cities to phase out the provision of sale of bottled water in their facilities, and feels bottles are a real problem.

However, he emphasized that this was not on the agenda, and did not want to confuse access and promotion with restrictions on the other private alternative.

Councillor Wilkinson inquired as to the options for providing water trailers at smaller events. Mr. Cressy suggested there were different water dispensing units available, on a small or large scale, and emphasized that the technology exists for cities to be able to provide water to everybody in every situation, and suggested it was a matter of establishing the political will to do so.

David Gladstone spoke in favour of the plan. He wished to mention some historical points, namely that the City’s water supply system came in the aftermath of a series of cholera epidemics in the mid-nineteenth century, when there developed great interest in having a safe water supply. He could not recall anyone saying there was a problem with the City’s water supply. He suggested the fact that plastic bottled water was widely available, including at City Hall, was a great marketing success for bottled water companies, but it came at a considerable cost to the consumer and to the environment. He supported reducing the use of bottled alternatives, and felt that the City should be promoting the use of City water, a resource everyone pays for.

Upon conclusion of public delegations, Chair Hume turned the discussion back to Committee. He indicated that, in addition to the motion previously introduced by Councillor Monette, there was an additional motion from Councillor Holmes.

Councillor Holmes introduced the following motion:

WHEREAS the City of Ottawa will be promoting its municipal water through a number of programs;

AND WHEREAS one of these programs are water trailers for festival and community use;

AND WHEREAS this is a new initiative for the City of Ottawa which has already generated community excitement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the City of Ottawa launch a competition to name the water trailers.

Committee then addressed the motion put forward by Councillor Monette, that the funds designated for the promotion part of the plan for promoting drinking water for the years 2011 through 2013 in the amount of $600,000 be reintegrated to the budget to offset the 2009 deficit. Chair Hume suggested that, while he understood the intent of the motion, he questioned the ability to take a future year’s budget allocation and apply it to a deficit whose resolution has already been approved.

Carey Thompson, Deputy City Solicitor provided the opinion that Councillor Monette's motion was out of order, and having confirmed with the Treasurer, even if it were in order it would not be implementable. On the first point, he noted that Item 10 pertaining to the disposition of the deficit had already been approved during the consent agenda, and the proposed motion is in opposition to that report with respect to the funding source. In addition, the purpose of that approved report was to deal with the finalization of the 2009 operating deficit and enable the City’s external auditors to finalize the financial statements for 2009, and recommended temporarily borrowing from existing rates supported capital reserves to fund the rates supported operating deficit.

He suggested the other problem with the Councillor’s motion, which the City’s external auditor would likely object to, is that the funds proposed to offset the do not currently exist. He expressed the opinion that the external auditor would say that since they do not currently exist, they cannot be used as a funding source for a current operating deficit.

In response to questions from Councillor Monette, Marian Simulik, City Treasurer, explained that the $790, 000 allocated for the 2011-2013 portion of the plan to promote municipal drinking water was just an allocation that signalled an intention. She confirmed that it would be within the discretion of the next Council to change that.

Councillor Monette withdrew his motion, and indicated that he would vote in opposition to the staff report. He also expressed his consternation that, although staff reviewed his motion in advance, they did not bring these concerns forward before the meeting.

Councillor Holmes spoke to her motion and the report as a whole. She expressed her strong support for the plan, and suggested the report was well thought out and comprehensive. She agreed that the City had been somewhat losing the battle with respect to letting the public know how safe the drinking water is, and what a great taste it has. She highlighted how ridiculous it was that so many residents did not feel City water was safe, given that it is some of the safest water in the world. She expressed her belief that the report was moving the City in the right direction, although there was still a long way to go. She noted that the festivals were looking forward to having the water trailer available to them. She suggested that the plan was beneficial from an environmental standpoint, as it would reduce the plastic bottles going into landfills. She further suggested it would also benefit residents, as they will learn that they don’t have to buy bottled water. She also noted that if the City can get more people drinking water, they will make more money, which is relevant given the fact that consumption is decreasing while costs are increasing.

With regards to her motion to launch a competition to name the water trailers, Councillor Holmes suggested a snappy name would help with the promotional aspect of the trailers. She suggested a competition was also a good way to get the public involved.

Councillor Feltmate indicated she would also be supporting the plan. She spoke to the issue of drinking fountains that were removed from buildings, noting this was due the fact that people were afraid to use them for fear of contamination. She suggested that before the City can start putting the fountains back in, they need to build the brand. She proposed that once people accepted that the water tastes good and that there are no problems with fountains, their demand for fountains will supports the activities of the City to build more fountains in appropriate places.

The Councillor also expressed her concern that the releasing of data about the spills into the Ottawa River had heightened residents’ fears about the quality of the drinking water. She suggested people needed to understand more about where and how the City’s water is produced. She maintained Ottawa had very good tasting water compared to many areas. She hoped the water trailers would not only be used for the large events downtown, but also for smaller events throughout the city. . She suggested the plan would offer the community an enhanced service at very little cost, in terms of bringing the water to them at these events so that they do not have to spend money on bottled water.

Councillor Feltmate also expressed her support for re-instituting tours of the water treatment facilities, suggesting it was a great opportunity to demonstrate to young people some of the City’s services. She predicted there would be a strong interest from various groups.

Councillor Monette reiterated his concerns with regards to the $600,000 allocated for promotions in 2011 to 2013, noting it was mostly for promotions and surveys. He noted the City of Ottawa had some of the best drinking water in the world, and did not see why they should be spending money to convince people of that. He proposed that there were many other ways to promote drinking water, including public service announcements, regular updates in water bills, information on the website, or other ways that do not cost anything. He suggested that the City did an effective job of promoting bad news every time there was a spill by telling people how was going into the Ottawa River, and suggested the City should put the same effort into getting out the good news about City water.

The Councillor noted that when he was growing up everyone drank from the tap and from the fountain, as they expected the City to provide water, and they expected it to be safe. He noted the City does not spend such a large amount of money promoting all the services it provides, and felt there was no need to do so for drinking water. He reiterated that he supported making drinking fountains more accessible; however, he felt he could not support the $600,000 allocation for the promotion of water.

Councillor Doucet suggested the issue of bottled water was intimately related to the problems of public water. He noted bottled water manufacturers had been effective in their advertising at the expense of City water. He suggested clean municipal water had done more to reduce disease than any other invention, and lamented that it had lost ground. He suggested this could be partly the City’s fault, as they had failed to really promote the service. He also emphasized the extensive testing the City’s water is subjected to, noting a Councillor is personally liable for $1Million if the water is dirty. He suggested this exceeded the testing touted by bottled water companies. He expressed his strong support for the plan, and congratulated staff, indicating his only criticism is that it was not an even bigger program.

Councillor Qadri indicated that he felt the concept of promoting the City’s services made sense, but felt there were other ways to do it. He suggested that City staff should be promoting it through the web site, and also that staff in charge of the water supply, such as Mr. Weir, put their faces out on the website to say they believe in the service they provide to the residents of this City. However, he suggested spending over $700,000 to promote the service was unfair, given the impact on the taxpayer. The Councillor noted that one of the reasons bottled water was popular was its portability and convenience. He suggested having water trailers would not prevent people from buying bottled water, unless there was one on every corner. He suggested staff continue the tours and make the public aware through various means. However, he could not support the plan given the costs and impacts on the taxpayer.

Councillor Harder spoke in opposition to the proposed plan. She suggested this issue was another example of how the City had lost its way. She emphasized that when there was a regional government, very few people came out in opposition, even though the Region received 80 per cent of all the taxes. Residents just expected the region to provide services like good water, sewers that didn’t overflow, buses that showed up, and major roads that were cleaned. She suggested the issues that residents wanted investment in, both pre-amalgamation and now, were issues like Fire, Libraries, Parks and Recreation. She suggested the City needed to stop talking about the things residents just expect them to do, and pay attention to those things residents really want them to provide. She pointed out that a draft of the Master Parks and Recreation Plan coming forward for public comment. She expressed the frustration she had heard from her residents, who she indicated were at the breaking point and very disillusioned with the City. She emphasized that residents expect the City to provide services well, which they do, but she could not support spending extra money to promote it.

Councillor Hume noted that the former Region had done many things like those listed in the report, in addition bottling municipal drinking water and handing it out at community events, giving out rain barrels, low-flow shower kits and undertaking social marketing in the community. He noted that there was good community response at that time and no argument over the costs of that program. He noted the City does many things to promote its services and activities to the Citizens of Ottawa. He suggested that, just as in the private sector, the City has to invest in the commodity they are selling. With reference to the City’s web site as a place to promote the service, Councillor Hume suggested web site was difficult to navigate and not user-friendly. He suggested the site required a complete revamping.

With regards to the plan, Chair Hume suggested it could have a positive impact on residents, and suggested people at Community events would like the water trailers. He suggested the plan was composed of good things to be doing for a service that is important but poorly understood, according to the survey. He indicated he would be supporting the initiative, which was more economical than what had been done by the ormer Regional Government.

Moved by D. Holmes

WHEREAS the City of Ottawa will be promoting its municipal water through a number of programs;

AND WHEREAS one of these programs are water trailers for festival and community use;

AND WHEREAS this is a new initiative for the City of Ottawa which has already generated community excitement;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the City of Ottawa launch a competition to name the water trailers.

CARRIED

M. Bellemare and S. Qadri dissented

Committee then voted on the report recommendations, as amended.

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve:

1. The 5-year Plan for Promoting Municipal Drinking Water set out in this report.

2. That the City of Ottawa launch a competition to name the water trailers.

CARRIED, as amended

Yeas (5): Councillors C. Doucet, D. Holmes, G. Hunter, P. Feltmate and P. Hume

Nays: (3): Councillors B. Monette, S. Qadri and M. Bellemare

[1] Ministry of the Environment Chief Drinking Water Inspector Annual Report 2006-2007, issued 23 June 2008.

[2] Refer to the City of Ottawa 2009 Water Use Survey Report, CRG 09-173.

[3] Findings of the City of Ottawa 2009 Water Use Survey Report, CRG 09-173.

[4] The difference in comfort levels between the use of indoor and outdoor fountains may be attributable to a combination of factors such as: a) there are very few outdoor fountains in the City, therefore survey results may be more theoretical than experiential; b) housekeeping staff are present at indoor facilities to allow for timely identification and redress of problems; and c) outdoor unsupervised areas are subject to greater vandalism.

[5] This includes $100k for promotion, $34k for water trucks and trailers; and $82k for staffing (one new Outreach Officer and six summer students to operate water trailer.)

[6] Some of these items were funded in part by other sources.

[7] This includes $600k for promotion 2011-2013; $100k for the installation of new indoor fountains; $75k for an outdoor fountain feasibility study; and $15k for review of fountain design specifications.