Tap water that is provided by the local city government (or corporation), likened humorously to a soft drink (pop) that is free. Primarily heard in UK. Back when I was a kid, the only thing we had to drink was council pop!
Prov. A group of people charged with crucial decisions often cannot act decisively. We tried to convince the boss not to form a committee, but to decide himself. We knew that councils of war never fight.