In a 296 to 199 secret ballot vote, residents voted to keep the ban, passed at the annual town meeting in May, on the sale of small plastic bottles that contain still water, sized 1 liter or less.
A local environmental group led the charge toward what is the first such ban in Berkshire County — and the fourth in the U.S. — citing a spiraling plastic waste crisis amid low recycling rates, as well as concerns about the safety of bottled water.
The ban was to begin May 1, with an exemption in case of emergencies, and a plan by the group to install water refill stations around town.
Opponents, led by town resident Laura Keefner, said the move be a financial hit to local businesses.
Others cited another problem: rusty water in Housatonic that has residents shopping for water.
"We as a society should not be limiting people’s rights."
Some said, however, that the ban would send people to other towns for the little bottles, and kill a good source of fundraising for groups such as the Boy Scouts.
Purchase foiled In a secret ballot vote requiring a two-thirds majority, residents killed the town’s plan to purchase an 8-acre parcel on Roger Road owned by Gary and Kristen O’Brien, which town officials said would "stop the clock on costs" of litigation by both neighbors and the O’Brien’s in an escalating neighborhood conflict over noise from their company, Irish Trucking.
The town was proposing to buy the land for $298,000 after the O’Brien’s appealed a Zoning Board of Appeals decision in land court that applied conditions to the operation of its equipment.
Zoning Board of Appeals member Michael Wise said the purchase was the most "sensible" route, and that it is "expensive to litigate over honor."

ORLEANS TOWNSHIP, MI — Drinking water at an Ionia County preschool building has tested for elevated levels of contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
The school is on summer recess, said Dan Peterson, EightCap president.
Bottled water has begun for year-round staff.
During session, up to 18 students ages 3 to 5 and about 15 staff members use the facility, which has previously been used as a county mental health facility and an elementary school.
"Our concern is on providing notice and making sure we implement measures in addition to bottled water," said Peterson.
The contamination was discovered Aug. 3 by the state, which is testing all public water supplies and schools on well water in Michigan for PFAS contamination.
Test results show 180-ppt of PFBS and 2-ppt of PFHxA in the well, according to EightCAP.
The contamination in the school well is above the Environmental Protection Agency’s 70-ppt health advisory level, which the state has been using to evaluate the seriousness of PFAS contamination in drinking water.
Technically, the advisory only applies to the chemicals PFOS and PFOA, but state agencies have been applying the benchmark to other PFAS detections as well.
To the north, in Montcalm County, the Tri-County Schools Middle School recently announced it would provide bottled water after a well test results showed PFAS in the water at 62-ppt.

Soon, single-use packaged plastic water bottles will be banned in all government functions and events organised in government offices, including Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha.
The government will soon issue orders prohibiting single-use plastic water bottles.
This is being done to curb the increasing plastic pollution.
Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar said he was keen on its implementation.
The environment department has quoted the recommendation of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), banning plastic use in government offices.
The idea is to extend it elsewhere.
The proposal states that certified Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifier, of not below BSI 2006 standards, should be installed and used.
Water will be provided in glass to all those attending government functions.
“To spread the message on the hazards of single-use plastic, we should set a precedent.
It is being done for the first time.

Mike Nicholson By Mike Nicholson August is National Water Quality Month, and it’s a good time for our neighbors to think about the ways they can protect the water quality in MetroWest and inside their own homes.
Rain will flush everything from pet waste to fertilizer from your lawns right down into the storm drains.
All that mess ends up in local rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater.
Picking up pet waste and trash from your lawn doesn’t just make you a good neighbor — it also protects the water supply.
Inside your home, be mindful of what you are pouring down the drain.
Soaps, household chemicals, detergents and medications all end up in the water supply once they’ve been flushed down the drain.
Water quality inside the home Homeowners who aren’t on a municipal water supply shouldn’t assume their water is safe.
While public water systems are regulated by the EPA, private water supplies aren’t.
If any contaminants are identified, a professional can recommend a home water treatment system to improve the water quality, giving you peace of mind.
Use these tips to protect and preserve the quality of water in your home and in MetroWest.

KARACHI: The Supreme Court-mandated Judicial Commission on Water and Sanitation has directed the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to test and report the quality of bottled drinking water being supplied to public hospitals in Sindh.
The commission’s head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, during the hearing in Karachi on Thursday, directed the health department to cancel contracts of all private water companies that were not registered with the PSQCA.
“What is most shocking is that the health department has never cared for providing safe drinking water to the patients and those who visit the hospitals,” Justice (retd) Muslim observed.
Judicial commission summons owners of factories in Port Qasim Authority The commission head granted seven days to all the medical superintendents (MS) of government hospitals in Sindh to cancel contracts with companies that were supplying water to hospitals without being registered with the quality control authority.
The judicial commission has directed the PSQCA to collect samples of bottled water from government hospitals where private contractors and companies have been supplying water and analyse the water quality.
The authority has also been directed to take action against all bottled water companies that are operating without obtaining licence from the PSQCA.
The directives came following the disclosure that three unlicensed companies were supplying bottled water to Peoples Medical College Hospital in Shaheed Benazirabad.
The three brands – Peo Geo, Aqua Hayat and Siddique – were also found being sold in residential areas.
The PSQCA has sealed the companies before submitting a report to the commission.
Judicial commission wants proper disposal of filth taken out from nullahs Justice (retd) Muslim directed the hospital’s MS to cancel contracts with the private bottlers not registered with the PSQCA and award new contracts to only such companies that had obtained required licences.

Taking notice of the awarding of contracts to unlicensed bottled water companies to supply water to government-run hospitals, the Supreme Court-mandated judicial commission has directed the Sindh health secretary to cancel contracts of all such companies which are not registered with the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority.
The team headed by Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim noted that the most shocking aspect is that the health department has not cared to provide safe drinking water to patients and those who visit the hospitals.
It then tasked Dr Murtaza, a senior research officer, with compiling an independent report on the quality of bottled water being supplied at hospitals.
The PSQCA director general and member task force informed that drinking water was being supplied at Peoples Medical College Hospital in Shaheed Benazirabad by water companies not registered with PSQCA.
The commission then directed the official to collect all the samples of bottled drinking water from the hospitals of Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta, Kotri and Jamshoro where the water was being supplied by such contractors as well as details of the contracts and owners of such companies to be submitted as a report after the samples’ analysis.
The commission said that if the companies were found unlicensed, action should be taken against them and directed the health secretary to cancel contracts of such nature where the bottled water companies are not registered with PSQCA.
The judicial body also directed the medical superintendent of Peoples Medical College Hospital Shaheed Benazirabad to ensure that companies supply water to it are registered with PSQCA and if they are not, their contract should be cancelled.
The PSQCA director general submitted that they need support of the district administration to inspect different places where the fake companies are operating in the province.
The commission then directed the Chief Secretary and IG Sindh to provide protection to the institution so that it can function smoothly without any hindrance from any quarters.
The commission added that the PSQCA DG shall also interact with the secretary of the home department and IG Police regarding the orders, who will in turn direct the district administration in Sindh to facilitate the inspections and also facilitate their activities which are covered by the PSQCA Act.

)- The Public Water Supply District #1 of Daviess County is working on restoring water and water pressure to some of their customers.
This area includes the cities of Winston, Altamont, and Weatherby.
Bottles of water being delivered.
Arrangements have been made to have a limited supply of bottled water delivered to three distribution sites.
Water will be available at 6pm tonight, Thursday August 2nd, 2018 at: -Altamont: KAW Fire Station #3 -Weatherby: Community Center -Winston: KAW Fire Station #4 Water is also available at the PWSD #1 office at Pattonsburg at the two (2) yard hydrants.
Bring your own container(s).
Bottles of water being delivered.
Arrangements have been made to have a limited supply of bottled water delivered to three distribution sites.
Water will be available at 6pm tonight, Thursday August 2nd, 2018 at: -Altamont: KAW Fire Station #3 -Weatherby: Community Center -Winston: KAW Fire Station #4 Water is also available at the PWSD #1 office at Pattonsburg at the two (2) yard hydrants.
⦁ Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.

But it can make a big difference helping people stay hydrated during the heat wave.
Marie McLennan, associate director of philanthropy with Streets Alive Mission, said people have been buying cases of bottled water for as low as a couple of dollars, to donate to the mission.
“Because they have such limited access to find a water source, it’s hard for them to even refill a water bottle,” McLennan explained.
“So, we try to make sure that we have full bottles of water that they can take with them.
We try to give them a couple at a time if we can.” Members of their team have also been hitting the streets in the late afternoon to distribute bottled water, she said.
While a case of 24 goes a long way, she stressed they are running through a lot during the current hot weather.
Mission has urgent need for volunteers As summer turns to fall, the other urgent need is for people’s time and service.
“So many of our programs are volunteer-based, and so we always have staff people as part of that team, but we are in a major need – we’re in a critical need, actually – for volunteers right now,” she explained.
“There’s our feeding program in the evening, and that’s a great time to really build relationships and get to know people and really start to understand the trouble that they have and how they can help.” There is a process for volunteer applications.
McLennan said people can get started on the Streets Alive website.

Bottled water has been issued to dozens of residents in Killeavy, County Armagh, after the discovery of a disused pipe which contained residual diesel/petrol.
NI Water said it had carried out a flushing exercise to clear the system.
It said it would "continue to flush as long as necessary to resolve the problem".
"In the interim, a ‘Do not use tap water for drinking or cooking’ notice was issued to 43 homes," a NI Water statement said.
"Our number one priority is the quality and safety of drinking water and our policy is to err on the side of caution."
Sinn Féin councillor Liz Kimmins said a similar issue had arisen about three years ago in relation to water in the area.
"Water going into homes appears to be contaminated with a diesel type substance and there is a horrible smell off it."
‘Ground contamination’ NI Water confirmed the area was affected by a similar issue in 2015.
It said that as the "situation has reoccurred", further investigations have uncovered a disused pipe, approximately 18 inches in length, "which contained residual diesel/petrol".
"We are also arranging to have a section of water main and services replaced with barrier pipe work to avoid any future ground contamination impacting on the water supply," it added.

However, how many of them are followed and implemented by manufacturers?
A recent study by Dr Aviram Sharma at the Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar, has analysed the regulatory governance of the standards set by BIS on bottled water quality in India.
Bottled water is under the mandatory certification since 2001, meaning it is illegal for any firm to manufacture it without the BIS licence.
The study, published in Current Science, concludes that the enforcement and implementation of mandatory quality standards for bottled water in India are ‘weak’.
“During 2008, when I started working on quality issues of drinking water, very few scientific studies were available in India.
Besides, lack of uniform drinking water quality standards in India intrigued me.
“However, the many recommendations of the committee are not implemented effectively even after 15 years, and systemic issues still prevail in the drinking water quality regulation”, he rues.
For example, the responsibility of BIS is limited to ensuring compliance of licensed manufacturers while the Public Health Engineering Department deals with illegal manufacturers.
Without enough infrastructure, how can one expect the effective implementation of standards”, asks Dr Sharma.
For ensuring compliance with BIS standards, a platoon of laboratories is required who can reliably test the water quality.