Replace the sale of bottled water with public, well-maintained, free, filtered water dispensers.

 

Currently, bottled water is sold in almost every grocery or convenience store across Minnesota. This bill seeks to

replace this with public, well-maintained, free, filtered water dispensers.

 

Currently, bottled water is sold at an average price of $1.60 per bottle. Many families may find it difficult to afford.

Replacing this with public, well-maintained, free, filtered water dispensers will make life easier for many families and

reduce the cost of living. Water is the most basic resource that humans need, and placing a price on it is unfair and

possibly detrimental to families without access to taps or water filters. Data from the National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey shows that insufficient water consumption can increase the risk of death by 20%. Ensuring easy access

to water for everyone will decrease the risk of injury and even mortality. The manufacture of plastic bottles is also

bad for the environment due to the release of harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.

 

Cost of living: the amount of money needed to cover necessities like housing, food, taxes, and healthcare.

Greenhouse gases: gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the surface temperature.

Sugary drink: any drink that contains a sugar content of more than 2 grams per fluid ounce.

 

This bill will be funded by a 10% tax increase on the production of sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola or Monster Energy.

The funds will go to the manufacture of water dispensers.

 

A committee will be formed to visit factories and stores across Minnesota to make sure no bottled water is sold. The

penalty for selling bottled water will be a fine equal to the amount of money the vendor has made from bottled water,

with 15% interest. If no such records exist, the vendor or company must pay a fine ranging from $300 to $10,000,

depending on the scale of production/sale, and the store/factory will be closed. Repeated offenses may result in jail

time, depending on how many times the offense has occurred.

 

This bill will go into effect on January 1st, 2027.