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Limiting access to bottled water could encourage people to consume sodas and other sugar-laden beverages.

That was one of the arguments made by the Brookline Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, April 7, against a proposal to curtail the consumption of bottled water that will go before Town Meeting this spring.

Clint Richmond and Jane Gilman, co-chairs of the Brookline Green Caucus, filed a pair of warrant articles for the spring Town Meeting that would limit the town's spending on bottled water, as well as restrict the use and sale of bottled water at town events and on town property.

One of the articles would require food establishments in Brookline to offer tap water to customers, while the other would outlaw the selling or distribution of bottled water at an event held on town property, including a street, unless there are no "reliable on-site potable water connections adequate to meet the hydration needs of the event participants."

Richmond said any permitted event in town where more than 100 people were expected to attend would not be allowed to sell or distribute bottled water if one of the articles passes. Major events such as Brookline Day would be affected by the ban. Water could be provided at the event in different containers, such as glass bottles, however.

The bans would not affect seltzer or flavored water.

Selectwoman Nancy Daly said she had a problem with the second article, stating that banning bottled water at certain events would encourage people to drink soda instead.

Alan Balsam, the town's director of public health, said he convened a meeting between department heads once the bottled water articles were submitted. He said he was struck by how much support he heard for the spirit of the warrant articles.

"Every single division or department wants this to work," he said. "That's the rub. How do you make it work?"

Advocates for less bottled water consumption argue that the use of the bottles creates solid waste issues since bottles do not biodegrade. Further, they say that chemicals found in plastic bottles are harmful.

Balsam said that plastic bottles are "nasty," but added that they are used as containers for a number of products, including sodas.

He was also concerned that at some events, people would be drawn to buy less healthy beverages if bottled water is not available.

He recommended doing something similar to the snow-clearing article submitted last year. For that article, a task force was set up to study the issue and come up with solutions for dealing with the problem.

Selectwoman Betsy DeWitt said she was concerned about hydration for children using town property for sporting events.

Richmond said the law would not apply to the sale or distribution of water at an athletic event. Further, he said anyone could bring their own bottled water to events on town property, but that the article would stop people from selling bottled water or distributing it at certain events, unless there aren't clear alternatives.

DeWitt questioned whether the town has the resources to deal with enforcing the bylaw.

Balsam questioned one of the aspects of the article that calls for someone from the town to decide whether or not a town-permitted event has access to water.

"That shouldn't be my responsibility," said Balsam.

Of the 117 parks and open spaces in Brookline, only 27 of them have drinking fountains, according to a document prepared by Department of Public Works Director Andrew Pappastergion.

Goldstein called Article 13, which would require all restaurants to offer tap water, a "solution in search of a problem," and said he would be in favor of recommending Article 14 be referred to a committee.

Earlier in the day, both articles were before the Human Services Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee, which voted no action on Articles 13 and 14, according to David-Marc Goldstein, a member of the subcommittee.

Article 13 would allow the town to issue a fine of $50 to businesses that don't offer tap water. The article would allow restaurants to charge for the service in order to offset the cost of providing a container. The article would not limit the amount of bottled water in restaurants, however.

Article 14 would bar the town from spending town funds on bottled water for use in town offices.

Fines for violations of the article would be $50 for the first offense, after an initial warning, and $100 for each subsequent offense.

Richmond said some restaurants, such as the VineRipe Grill at the Putterham Golf Course and Koo Koo's Nest inside the Brookline Main Library would be subject to the second article banning the selling of bottled water because both are technically on town property.

Article 14 is modeled after an ordinance in San Francisco that limits bottled water consumption and spending. Article 13, if passed, would likely be the first such law in the country, said Richmond.

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Brookline officials wary of bottled water ban

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Limiting access to bottled water could encourage people to consume sodas and other sugar-laden beverages.That was one of the arguments made by the Brookline Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, April 7, against a proposal to curtail the consumption of bottled water that will go before Town Meeting this spring.Clint Richmond and Jane Gilman, co-chairs of the Brookline Green Caucus, filed a pair of warrant articles for the spring Town Meeting that would limit the town's spending on bottled

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The town now requires the restaurants to serve tap water to all customers.