At the Burnaby Costco store, one of the biggest sellers is bottled water.
"People trust bottles rather than the tap," said one Pizzeria owner carrying out several crates.
But if Metro Vancouver has its way, we'll be less dependent on the bottle. Water Committee Chair Tim Stevenson says we've been fooled into relying on bottled water.
"We have the very best water in the world, and it's free," said Stevenson.
Metro Vancouver's Water Committee is launching a mission to get people back to the tap.
They've hired teams of students, who, in the next few weeks, will begin roving the parking lots of big box stores, looking for people who are buying bottled water and asking them why.
"If people say (they) think it's dangerous... then we'll gear the campaign toward, yes we do know everything about tap water -- and here are facts," Stevenson said.
The fact is, even though our tap water is among the best in the world, you can't look far without seeing a bottle.
Some consumers insist bottled water is more beneficial than tap water.
"I think it's more purified than tap water itself," said one bottled water drinker.
Stevenson says that's what the bottled water industry wants you to believe.
Elizabeth Griswold, director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association, says the ban is well meaning, but just isn't very rational.
"Rather than focusing on one beverage of choice, it would make far more sense for governments to focus on improving recycling rates for all consumer products," says Griswold.
But for now, bottled water is the target. The goal is a 20 percent reduction in consumption by 2010.
Stevenson believes it's an achievable target.
"I think that it's an ambitious amount, but we think times are changing," he says.
With a file from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson.
