On Monday, a ban on single-use water bottle purchases by state and local governments was proposed to the Maine legislature. Proponents said it would save money and position Maine for a leadership role in a nationwide effort to reduce plastic bottle waste.

Rep. Ben Chipman, a Portland independent and co-sponsor of the bill, said the bill’s passage would result in less waste and send a positive message about the state’s public water supply.

Naturally, the proposal was met with opposition. Some claimed that the bill was written too broadly and failed to include a provision for emergency situations. Others downplayed the issue as minor in their state government.

The Maine Department of Transportation spends nearly $30,000 annually on bottled water—about half of all state spending on bottled water.

Proponents pointed to studies showing no substantial differences in the quality of bottled water and public water supplies. They also referred to a similar ban in San Francisco, which in 2007 prohibited city departments from purchasing bottled water, and Concord’s (MA) recent ban on single-serving water bottles within its town limits.

On January 1, the town of Concord, Massachusetts, became the first municipality in the nation to ban the sale of single-serving water bottles smaller than 34 ounces.

The bill is the result of town activists—primarily town resident Jean Hill, 84. Hill told the New York Times in 2010, “The bottled water companies are draining our aquifers and selling it back to us.” She led two other attempts to ban the plastic bottles before the April measure passed the Town Council.

Stores that violate the ban and sell bottled water will receive a warning on the first offense, a $25 fine for the second, and $50 for each subsequent infraction. The ban would be suspended during emergencies.

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