ALBANY (AP) -- Gov. David Paterson is telling state agencies to cut spending and help the environment by switching from bottled to tap water, lending momentum to a national movement to wean Americans from their water bottles.
An executive order signed by Paterson on Tuesday phases out the expenditure of state funds for the purchase of single-serve and cooler-sized bottles of water. Agencies will have to provide tap water fountains and dispensers instead.
New York becomes the third state, after Virginia and Illinois, to cut spending on bottled water. Last June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution calling on city governments to stop buying bottled water.
Paterson says bottled water requires large amounts of energy to bottle and transport, and most of the bottles end up in landfills.
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