UVM Bans Sale of Bottled Water on Campus

Montpelier, VT – The University of Vermont is banning the sale of bottled water starting next year, with plans to convert campus water fountains to bottle filling stations. WAMC's North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports...

The announcement, driven by a student campaign that promotes recycling, coincides with another university decision to end its ten-year beverage contract with Coca-Cola on July 1st.

"We are ending sales of bottled water," says Gioia Thompson, Director of the Office of Sustainability. "We are not banning bottled water. There will be no bottled water police going around campus."

UVM plans to open up the campus to other vendors. Under a new mandate, one-third of the drinks offered in vending machines must be healthier options, such as flavored tea and those containing electrolytes.

I'm Pat Bradley, WAMC News.