Bill Floated to Impose Tax on Water Bottled from Florida Springs

State Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston, wants companies that sell water bottled from Florida springs to pay 5 cents for every gallon extracted.

Sands filed a bill Monday, HB 781, that would require the bottlers to pay a fee that would be used to pay for alternative water supply projects.

Water is one of Floridas most precious natural resources, and if corporations are going to withdraw it for a profit, then its only fair that they be charged for that use, Sands stated in a release.

Sands notes that a "fiscal analysis has not yet been conducted by the Florida Legislature to provide an accurate estimate of how much HB 781 raises."

The bill is not listed as a companion toSen. Evelyn Lynn's bill, SB 118, which sees a 6 cents surcharge on the sale of bottled water in containers under a 1 gallon size.

Both bills face fierce opposition from bottlers and Republican leadership in the Legislature, which has been strongly against imposing new taxes.

Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, was unable to get her proposal heard in the 2011 legislative session. She refiled the bill in August.