Washington State May Halt Companies from Bottling Local Water

On February 17, the Washington State Senate passed a bill that would ban new permits for companies planning to extract, bottle, and export water from the state.

The bill outlines the concern of local communities who fear that more large corporations will take advantage of lax regulations and sell a public resource for large profits. 

Key language in the current text defines any commercial bottled water as "detrimental to the public welfare and the public interest." The bill includes exceptions to protect public health in the event of a emergency.

The bill still must pass the House and be signed into law by Governor Inslee before it becomes law.