Bottled Water Program Gets Scrapped

By CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI

Say goodbye to those plastic water bottles with the Kansas City skyline. As of October 1, the city’s water department won’t be putting tap water in plastic containers.

And not only is councilmember Beth Gottstein one step closer to tossing the city’s bottled-water habit, but she also got a public apology from a colleague who originally made fun of her effort.

Six months ago, Gottstein introduced a measure ban the purchase of bottled water at City Hall and other municipal facilities. It doesn’t make much sense, Gottstein argued, to put tap water in petroleum containers when the same stuff is available at the nearest sink.

Back then, some of her colleagues, like Councilmember Ed Ford, made light of the green idea. But last week he changed his previously mocking tone and the council unanimously passed a resolution that puts the city a big step toward abandoning the bottled-water trend.