Keeping The Real Great Lakes Water Story Bottled Up

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today offers a front-page story about booming sales of bottled water in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region, but does not mention that bottling these waters is among the most contentious issues surrounding the stalled US-Canada Great Lakes Compact.

This blog contained that context just a few days ago.

Dave Dempsey, Midwestern water expert, author, and former environmental policy-maker in Michigan state government, more completely laid out the history and significance of the regional and international bottling debate last year in a Minnesota newspaper column, here.

As written, and pending before the Wisconsin legislature and six of the seven other Great Lakes states (Minnesota has already approved it), the Compact permits unlimited diversions of water in containers and bottles smaller than 5.7 gallons.

So while pipeline diversions are regulated with relatively strong provisions, and other conservation standards would be applied throughout the Great Lakes region if and when the Compact is approved by all the states, the bottled water loophole stands out as a serious flaw that needs attention and repair.

The Journal Sentinel story discloses facts and trends that make the story a good read: I just wish it had connected with Great Lakes regional policies, politics and the Compact debate.

The Great Lakes make up 20% of the planet's fresh surface water supply, and their management has extremely broad consequences.

It's a story worth telling with equally comprehensive coverage.