Public Report To: Development Services Committee From: Warren Munro, HBA, RPP, Commissioner, Development Services Department Report Number: DS-19-101 Date of Report: May 22, 2019 Date of Meeting: May 27, 2019 Subject: Blue Communities Project File: F-7000-0078 1.0 Purpose The purpose of this report is to respond to the Development Services Committee’s March 27, 2017 direction for staff to provide a report on the Council Referral (DS-17-74) concerning on the endorsement of the Blue Communities Project. The report also includes information regarding how banning the sale of bottled water would affect existing contracts and programs (i.e. Healthy Kids Challenge) as well as security at the Tribute Communities Centre. To view a copy of the Blue Communities Project Guide visit: https://canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/BCPGuide-2016-web.pdf. Attachment 1 is a copy of correspondence from the Canadian Beverage Association (C.B.A.) dated May 17, 2017 (DS-17-108) expressing concern regarding the possible ban of bottled water at City facilities. Attachment 2 is a table indicating locations in the City of Oshawa that participate in the Blue W program, including City facilities. Attachment 3 is a list of City facilities and parks that include water fountains and/or water bottle fill stations. Attachment 4 is a summary of beverage contract information in City-owned facilities. 2.0 Recommendation That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council: That Report DS-19-101 dated May 22, 2019 concerning the Blue Communities Project be received for information. 59 Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-19-101 Meeting Date: May 27, 2019 Page 2 3.0 Executive Summary Not applicable. 4.0 Input From Other Sources 4.1 Other Departments The following have been consulted in the preparation of this report: . City Manager . Finance Services . Legal Services . Facilities Management Services . Community Services . Fire Services . Spectra Venue Management (Tribute Communities Centre) . Oshawa Airport Golf Club . Jubilee Pavilion 4.2 Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee The Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee (O.E.A.C.) assists City Council, staff and the community with respect to the protection, enhancement, restoration, management and appreciation of the natural and built environments. O.E.A.C. activities help to advance the goals of the Oshawa Strategic Plan. On January 9, 2018, O.E.A.C. considered Staff Report OEAC-18-01 concerning the Blue Communities Project. Report OEAC-18-01 recommended that O.E.A.C. provide comments to staff on the Blue Communities Project. In response to OEAC-18-01, O.E.A.C. established a Blue Communities working group to review and report on the subject matter. On March 5, 2019 O.E.A.C. passed the following Motion: “Whereas at its meeting of January 9, 2018, the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee considered Report OEAC-18-01 concerning the Blue Communities Project; and, Whereas the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee created a Blue Communities Working Group to gather additional information prior to submitting input concerning the endorsement of the Blue Communities Project; Therefore, the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee support the City of Oshawa becoming a Blue Community.” On April 15, 2019, Development Services Committee referred the above motion to staff for consideration when preparing this report. 60 Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-19-101 Meeting Date: May 27, 2019 Page 3 5.0 Analysis 5.1 Blue Community Program The Blue Community Project is a joint initiative by the Council of Canadians, the Blue Planet Project and the Canadian Union of Public Employees aimed at protecting and promoting public water resources. The Blue Planet Project notes that there are at least 26 International Blue Communities, and that 23 municipal governments in Canada have become Blue Communities, declaring water as a human right. The Blue Community Program adopts a water commons framework by treating water as a common good that is shared by everyone and the responsibility of all. The Blue Communities Project prepared a Project Guide to help community activists and local leaders protect the human right to water. The guide states that: . The privatization of water resources, the bottling of water, and industrial projects are threatening water services and sources; . The bottled water industry sells water, a shared community resource, for huge profits; . Greenhouse gases are emitted and watersheds destroyed as a result of producing and transporting bottled water. Bottled water production places significant stress on increasingly scarce water resources; and, . The adoption of a water commons framework to address pollution, degradation, depletion, and privatization at the community level is crucial in the battle to preserve water and ensure fair access to all. Furthermore, the project encourages municipalities and Indigenous communities to become a Blue Community by implementing three actions: 1. Recognizing water and sanitation as human rights; 2. Banning or phasing out the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities and at municipal events; and, 3. Promoting publicly financed, owned, and operated water and wastewater services. 5.2 Background On November 28, 2011, Oshawa City Council considered Item DS-11-381, a report of the Commissioner of Development Services on the use of bottled water at Committee and Council meetings and passed the following resolution: “That Report DS-11-381, dated November 9, 2011, concerning bottled water, be received for information and referred to the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee for comment.” 61 Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-19-101 Meeting Date: May 27, 2019 Page 4 On June 25, 2012, Council considered Report DS-12-239 in response to Council’s November 28, 2011 direction and directed staff to discourage rather than ban the use of single serving bottled water at City Hall for the following key reasons: . Single serving bottled water is a legal commodity that is preferred by many as a “personal choice” for a variety of reasons (e.g. taste, convenience, lack of trust in “piped” water, etc.). A ban would be difficult and awkward to enforce (e.g. asking “customers” attending at City Hall to dispose of their water bottles, etc.). Potential contractual issues with bottled water producers and suppliers. Certain initiatives which educate staff and visitors to City Hall about the benefits, availability and security of tap water and which discourage the use of single serving plastic water bottles are a more appropriate course of action and is respectful of the personal choice issue. On February 19, 2013 Council considered correspondence Item DS-13-27 from Robyn Hamlyn regarding making the City of Oshawa a Blue Community and passed the following resolution: “That Correspondence DS-13-27 dated January 13, 2013 from Robyn Hamlyn requesting to address the Development Services Committee regarding how Oshawa can become a “Blue Community” by passing three key resolutions, and her subsequent delegation concerning the matter, be referred to the Oshawa Environmental Advisory Committee.” On March 5, 2013, the O.E.A.C. considered the City Council Referral on Item DS-13-27 and passed the following resolution: “That, pursuant to City Council Referral OEAC-13-18 being a direction from City Council from their meeting on February 19, 2013 regarding making Oshawa a ‘Blue Community’, staff be directed to review the ‘Blue Communities’ program to consider all implications of this program to the City of Oshawa and investigate options to reduce reliance on bottled water while promoting the use of tap water by residents of Oshawa.” On March 25, 2013, Development Services Committee considered the above resolution of O.E.A.C., divided the motion into two parts and only recommended Council endorse Part 1 regarding the direction to review the Blue Communities Program. Development Services Committee did not endorse Part 2 regarding the direction to investigate options to reduce bottled water reliance. On March 25, 2013 Development Services Committee also received for information the following pieces of correspondence: . DS-13-63, correspondence from John Zupo, President of Nestle Waters Canada, expressing concern regarding the possible ban of bottled water at City facilities. 62 Report to Development Services Committee Item: DS-19-101 Meeting Date: May 27, 2019 Page 5 . DS-13-69, correspondence from John B. Challinor, Director of Corporate Affairs at Nestle Waters Canada, forwarding the Company’s views and supporting documentation about the Blue Communities Project. DS-13-74, correspondence from Jim Goetz, President, Canadian Beverage Association (C.B.A.), expressing concern regarding the possible ban of bottled water at City facilities. On March 20, 2017 Council referred the following Notice of Motion (DS-17-74) to the Development Services Committee: “That Council endorse the Blue Communities Project by: 1. Reaffirming and recognizing water as a human right; and, 2. Reaffirming and promoting publicly financed, owned and operated water and waste water services; and, 3. Banning the sale of bottled water in public facilities” On March 27, 2017, Development Services Committee considered the City Council Referral on Item DS-17-74 and passed the following resolution: “That City Council Referral DS-17-74 concerning endorsement of the Blue Communities Project be referred to staff for a report; and, That the report include information regarding how banning the sale of bottled water would affect existing contracts and programs (i.e. Healthy Kids Challenge) as well as security at the Tribute Communities Centre.” On May 17, 2017, the City received correspondence from the C.B.A. (see Attachment 1) providing information in opposition to banning bottled water (DS-17-108). The correspondence restated the key messages included in DS-13-74 and included staff reports from the City of Hamilton concerning bottled water, which noted that “encouraging people to choose municipal water is best achieved through a social marketing campaign and increasing access to municipal tap water, and not by banning bottled water”.