December 21, 2016 (Toronto) – Bottled water is a complimentary option to tap water and does not compete with tap water. Bottled water competes with other bottled beverages.[1] Nearly 70% of Canadian households in 2015 reported using the tap as their primary water source at home. Meanwhile, bottled water as the main in-home water source has decreased by 11% since 2007. [2]
Ontario permits for bottled water companies account for only 0.001% (one-thousandth of one percent) of total annual permitted water withdrawal amounts covered by active Ontario Permits to Take Water.[3] There are many significant water users in Ontario that pay no fees for the water they take.
Bottled water is packaged using 100% recyclable Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), one of the most environmentally efficient consumer packaging materials on the market. PET bottles can also be recycled many times to create new ones while saving 50-60% of the energy required to produce a new bottle from new material.
[1] Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Canadian Bottled Water Industry. 25 Mar 2009.
[2] Statistics Canada, Households and the Environment Survey, 2015 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/161216/dq161216c-eng.htm
[3] Based on currently active permits listed in Ontario Ministry of Environment Excel database file at https://files.ontario.ca/moe_mapping/downloads/2Water/PermitToTakeWater [accessed 2016/08/23]