SLO wants fewer plastic water bottles, more hydration stations

At the urging of some San Luis Obispo residents, local leaders agreed to explore a potential ban on the sale of single-use plastic water bottles on city property and ways to install more “hydration stations” so people can refill reusable containers rather than buy new bottles.

The San Luis Obispo City Council will hold a study session — a date for that has not been set — to learn more about what other cities or universities have done to reduce plastic water bottle waste. The council could give staff direction at that time to pursue an ordinance.

A majority of council members said Feb. 2 that they would like to explore the issue, with only Councilwoman Carlyn Christianson voicing opposition to putting the issue on a future meeting agenda.

“I think the city has and can and should do more to recycle at city events and can do more to encourage people to use refillable bottles and look at installing more rehydrating stations,” she said, “but I don’t think we need to make another ordinance right now.”

Several residents who spoke at the council’s meeting suggested it look to San Francisco’s 2014 ban on the sale of drinking water in single-use bottles as a guide.

That ordinance prohibits the sale of bottles that hold 21 ounces of water or less at events on city property, but it exempts footraces and other athletic events and gives food trucks and large nonprofit events, such as the annual gay-pride parade, until 2018 to comply, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The ordinance also encourages San Francisco to increase the number of water refilling stations in public spaces.

There are currently three such stations in San Luis Obispo: one at City Hall and two at Santa Rosa Park — one near the roller hockey rink and the other at the SLO Skate Park, public works director Daryl Grigsby said.

The double drinking fountain and bottle filler at the Skate Park cost about $3,370, supervising civil engineer David Athey said, with the bottle filler adding $300 to $500 to the cost.

Athey said a double drinking fountain at Laguna Hills Park will be replaced later this year with a single drinking fountain and bottle filler.

“As we replace fountains, we’ve been getting the bottle fillers on them,” he said.

Cory Jones, a Cal Poly student who handles business development for San Luis Obispo-based One With Nature LLC, said installing more refilling stations in the city would be a significant step toward reducing waste, with or without a bottle ban. A petition circulated in San Luis Obispo and online has about 900 signatures total.

“The water bottle ban is at the city’s discretion,” he said. “But I’m also calling for the implementation of refill stations because that allows us as a community to be more responsible with how we consume.”

Without access to refilling stations, Jones said, “people’s preference for convenience is going to outweigh their environmental concern.”

Councilman Dan Carpenter said during the Feb. 2 meeting that adding hydrating stations is key.

“That piece needs to come first,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult to get people to change behavior if they don’t have a significant alternative.”

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 1:42 PM with the headline "SLO wants fewer plastic water bottles, more hydration stations."