Council should be commended for drinking water stations
By Lethbridge Herald on July 21, 2023.
Editor:
Re: City testing new drinking water stations in parks.
Congratulations to city council on implementation of the pilot project to install drinking water stations in parks around Lethbridge.
This initiative will benefit our community not only by allowing easy access to clean water for park users throughout summer and fall, but also by reducing plastic waste arising from bottled water.
Residential waste audits reveal that on average 33 kg of plastic per person annually is thrown into curbside garbage and recycling carts in Lethbridge. Many plastic water bottles are not recycled at all.
Others end up being down-cycled into fibre for carpets or pillows before being dumped in the landfill.
Plastic water bottles when buried in the landfill do not decompose.
Still other plastic bottles end up as litter which exposed to the elements breaks down into micro plastics that pollute soil and water.
Ideally installing drinking water stations in parks will inspire individuals to adopt the habit of carrying a refillable water bottle or travel cup as they move around our City, indoors and out.
A network of public drinking water stations has the potential to instill a refill culture and make significant inroads on the problem of single-use plastics.
Kathleen Sheppard, Executive Director, Environment Lethbridge
Cheryl Bradley, Chair WasteLess Committee of Environment Lethbridge
13-12
Good idea. Good letter. Have you noticed the media coverage on the current heat wave? Lineups of people for water at public fountains. Having more access to water is a good adaptation measure.
To give credit where it’s due, the need for these drinking stations was expressed by staff at the Sik Ooh Kotoki Friendship Society. This was passed along to City public works staff who came up with all kinds of reasons why this couldn’t be done. After the election, Nick Paladino picked this up and ran with it. And there you have it…. how we came to getting something useful that was apparently requested many times during the previous administration. Now, if only we could get the City to listen more often….
Ask the Sik Ooh Kotoki friendship society to bring it forward and these other ideas may get moved along. Is that the same society who doesn’t open their doors and give shelter to addicts etc. who don’t want to go to the shelter?
Do they turn away their own people?