MIAMI, Fla. -- The nation's mayors have voted against spending taxpayer money to buy bottled water, a blow to the beverage industry that has enjoyed growing profit from water sales in recent years.

A majority of about 250 mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami voted to phase out government use of bottled water. That means attendees of city council meetings around the country could more often see pitchers of water instead of clear plastic bottles on the tables of local legislators.

An industry group called the move "sound-bite environmentalism," while activists cheered it.

Leading up to Monday's vote, more than 60 mayors around the country had taken some measures to reduce or eliminate bottled water use. Most recently, the cities of San Jose, Calif., Miami and Orlando, Fla., decided to phase out bottled water.