When hurricane season strikes, bottled water is at the top of the list for basic supplies.  And during emergencies, the bottled water industry steps in to help.  Take the case of Nestle Waters North America, which donated 302,568 half-liter bottles of Ozarka and Ice Mountain Brand Natural Spring Water to citizens and disaster relief workers affected by Category 2 Hurricane Gustav. 

From the Acton Institute:

The problem…is that the arguments of those who would ban bottled water only seem to make sense until we actually think about the likely consequences of a ban.

A tax on bottled water does not eliminate demand for the bottles themselves…To be truly effective in reducing the demand for water bottles, the government would have to tax all beverages sold in plastic bottles.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has no plans to follow some U.S. mayors in the ban-the-bottle movement, according to this article in the Tampa Tribune.