Blue Communities

Primary tabs

Blue Community The Blue Communities Project encourages municipalities and Indigenous communities to support the idea of a water commons framework, recognizing that water is a shared resource for all, by passing resolutions that:

Recognize water and sanitation as human rights.
Ban or phase out the sale of bottled water in municipal facilities and at municipal events.
Promote publicly financed, owned, and operated water and wastewater services.

The Council of Canadians, the Blue Planet Project and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) initiated the Blue Communities Project in 2009. Eau Secours is a partner on the Blue Communities Project in Quebec. The Blue Communities movement has grown internationally with Paris, France, Bern, Switzerland and other municipalities around the world going “blue.” Schools, religious communities and faith-based groups have also adopted principles that treat water as a common good that is shared by everyone and is the responsibility of all.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about the Blue Communities Project.

We invite you to become a part of the local and global movement for water security and justice by joining the Blue Communities Project – a joint initiative that furthers the work of local Water Watch coalitions across the country.

Learn what you can do as a community activist, public sector worker or municipal councillor to help protect the water commons – our shared water resources – in the face of increasing pressure to put water up for sale and privatize water services.

Map of Blue Communities:

Recent highlights

Government inspection reports reveal complaints with bottled water

March 8, 2019

Bottled water that smells like "urine," tastes like "old socks" or reeks of "diarrhea." These were some of the complaints listed in four years' worth of government inspection reports obtained by CBC News. CBC News noted that the reports revealed that “Dasani, owned by Coca-Cola; Real Canadian natural spring water, owned by Loblaws, one of Canada's largest grocery-store chains; and Refreshe...

Maude Barlow in Paris to help celebrate city’s public water system

March 7, 2019

Council of Canadians Honorary Chairperson Maude Barlow is in Paris, France as an invited guest speaker celebrating the 10th anniversary of “Eau de Paris,” the city’s public water system. She spoke in front of a hall full of people about the importance of ensuring water remains in public hands.

Working in coalition to stop Doug Ford’s regressive agenda

February 19, 2019

In a recent article, NOW Toronto examines how social justice organizations, labour, environmental groups and others are coming together in new ways to fight Premier Doug Ford’s regressive austerity agenda in Ontario. With new cuts announced every week, including recent leaked documents that reveal Premier Ford’s plan for significant health care privatization, the Ford government’s threats to...

Saskatoon chapter pushes city to examine bottled water use

February 12, 2019

More than a year ago, the Saskatoon chapter of the Council of Canadians asked its city council to consider becoming a Blue Community, including banning the sale of bottled water in city facilities. The request prompted a review of the city’s ability to provide public tap water in municipal facilities – and the results were not positive. Saskatoon municipal staff recently delivered a report...

Bill 66 will reward big business and put drinking water and the environment at risk

January 18, 2019

Doug Ford's proposed sweeping legislative changes in Bill 66 stands to reward big business at the expense of people and the environment. The Council of Canadians is calling on people across Ontario to speak out and say no to this dangerous Bill before January 20 when the public comment period concludes.