Some 2.7 million tons of petroleum-derived plastic are used to bottle water worldwide every year, and costs consumers up to 1,900 times more than tap water
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29 Comments
Add CommentIt's not a question of whether bottled water is more pure, it's a question of if it is better.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll I know is in a USDA food and beverage report (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/fluoride.pdf) you can clearly see that tap water has much higher concentrations of fluoride than bottled water. I'm not one for ingesting to much fluoride so i'll stick with my bottle's.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was in the Food industry back in the 80's during the explosion in the bottled water market. At the time it struck me as being absolutely devoid of common sense except as a way to make money. Restaurants saw bottled water as a way of charging for a product that they previously gave away as a service. The truth is that most bottled water is not good for you and may also have added to the increase of intestinal problems over the last 3 decades.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA clean glass of water from the tap is far more beneficial to you than a bottle of water that may have been sitting on a shelf for months before consumption. However the problem is how do we reverse a trend that has developed over those years when there is a powerful lobby on behalf of the multinationals that dominate this market. One way of tackling the problem is to make the manufactures put prominent labels on their products (much like the tobacco industry have to ) warning the consumer of the true cost of the product i.e. Environmental damage, Health advice and so on.
It is the hypocrisy that so infuriates me. People and businesses that support a healthy lifestyle are the ones promoting the consumption of bottled water.
Another point that should have been made here is how much fuel is used to transport this product around the world.
I think as long as your tap water intake is less than 3 gallons a day you have little to worry about.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisbut then again...
General Jack D. Ripper: Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.
I'm against bottled water as much as anyone, but claiming that it has "added to the increase of intestinal problems over the last 3 decades" because it has "been sitting on a shelf for months before consumption" is nonsense. Tests show it is essentially as pure and safe as tap water. The reason to not drink bottled water is because of the environmental load created by its 'manufacturing' and delivery.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI would always choose bottled water in a restaurant in a city the hyperchlorinates its water to the point it tastes like a swimming pool. Chlorinated water is not fit for human consumption and causes much illness. It may be used for external purposes such as washing a car but is not good for gardening.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn the end, you have to choose between having a hypochondriacal reaction to the flouride and chlorine in tap water, or a hypochondriacal reaction to the microscopic concentrations of BPA and antimony trioxide in bottled water. Making a choice will help you justify the water 'mode' you believe in.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost bottled water in fact comes from tap water anyway. But whereas there are strong controls for tap water quality, you can't say the same for bottled water.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFluoride is added purposefully to tap water to help dental hygiene. Chlorine will evaporate if you wait 10-15 minutes before you drink it.
Tap water is not really good for health. We need to keep in mind that the tap water reaching your homes would be collecting toxic materials, on its way,(example due to the rusting of the pipeline and etc). The other possibility of tap water being contaminated is that may be the water pipe line is damaged(leaking) at some place and the sewage water or other contaminants might seep into it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe bottled mineral water is a best choice, making sure that water is being provided by a trusted company.
we can lower the environmental impact due to plastic bottles by using glass bottles as a substitute to plastic bottles.
"I believe bottled mineral water is a best choice,"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBased on no evidence, of course.
Someone is missing the point. Bottled water is a convenience, and one people are willing to pay for. Neither my boat nor my truck has a water tap installed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBesides, a lot of the people that are drinking bottled water have simply traded soda for water.
No go do research on why people buy bottles of coke/soda when they could just get the same out of a soda fountain.
Well for goodness sakes, if you want us to drink tap water then make that water safe.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet's look at the article's seemingly innocent opening question is a slightly different light: "Isn’t it a waste that we buy water in plastic bottles when it is basically free out of our taps?"
Now suppose it turned out that question was asked from a wealthy resident whose tap water source is the Damodar River in India. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_most_polluted_river_in_India)
I know, many will exclaim something like, "But that's supposedly the most polluted river in India! That doesn't count!"
Really. Then does drinking from tap water with a source of a "less polluted river" than the Damodar "count"? Perhaps the cancer I get will be, uh, less severe?
Where do we draw the line? If you search Google for keywords in the following quote from the 12/10/2010 Huffington Post and you will see what I mean:
"Hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, first gained notoriety when the film "Erin Brockovich" highlighted the plight of Hinkley, California, where the groundwater had been contaminated. Now the first publicly available national survey on the contaminant from Environmental Working Group reveals that Hinkley isn't alone.
"Laboratory tests commissioned by EWG have discovered that the chemical is present in the tap water of 31 out of 35 U.S. cities tested, or 89 percent. Norman, Oklahoma; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Riverside, California returned the highest levels of contamination."
The article is implying consumers of bottled water should be "penny wise and pound foolish." By saving tons of petroleum in bottling safe drinking water, the cases of cancer that could breakout throughout the United States alone could lead to medical waste that may set us back a hundred years or more.
The solutions seems obvious: develop safe containers for drinking water, so people don't have to suffer the fate of those whom attorney Erin Brockovich represented!
The solution is a simple marketing process - encourage the fashion houses of Paris and "cool" companies to introduce fashion designed bottles that customers can refill. The Dior Bottle, The New Yorker, etc . They need to be well designed fashion statements and above all expensive and a desirable item. Even the shape of the bottle can be changed to a more flat style whiskey flask with a strap for carrying.... one more thing every year a new model must come out, never be accused of being "so last year"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI learned of this Communist plot about 50 years ago.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI didn't know they were still putting Fluoride into our water to sap our will to resist their pending takeover of my and also of your country.
This is hilarious. All those who bleat about looking after the environment & yet defend using bottled water. If you like the convenience of bottled water, buy one bottle & re fill it from the tap. The same mentality believes in alternative medicine that is often detrimental or even conventional medication that is unnecessary. Billions spent on vitamin supplements that are totally unnecessary for people who eat a good old fashioned diet except in rare cases.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy in large, the thesis of the article is correct. The products from Pepsi, Coca-Cola and much of Nestlé are for the most part purified tap water and of little value other than hydration. The mineral waters, however, are an entirely different matter and to provide healthful benefits to the users.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI work at Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA), and would like to clarify a few points raised in this column.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNestlé Pure Life Purified Water is not the only NWNA brand to provide consumers with detailed quality information. In fact, all six of our regional spring water brands also provide information on source, treatment and quality. We feel a small label cannot convey this information in a clear, thorough manner, so our labels direct consumers to detailed quality reports online. We also endorse Senator Lautenberg’s call for a federal standard for all bottled water companies to communicate water quality – from water resources to test results – in a transparent way.
The column suggests tap water is “just as good if not better” than bottled water, but it’s important to note this is not always the case. FDA bottled water regulations are just as protective of human health as tap water regulations and, for some contaminants, such as lead and E. coli, bottled water regulations are more stringent than those for tap water.
Finally, the Container Recycling Institute’s report that 86 percent of plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up as garbage or litter is outdated. Today, around 30 percent of all PET plastic beverage bottles are recycled in the U.S. Though there’s been progress, we think that number is too low and are advocating for better solutions for curbside recycling and when people are away from home.
At a time when nearly one-third of Americans are obese, drinking water – whether bottled or filtered tap – is a good thing. Most consumers use both, depending on personal preference and circumstance. And that makes sense.
Jane Lazgin
Nestlé Waters North America
Well isn’t that great janeatwaters you really don’t get it. It matters not a jot how much you try to defend the indefensible it’s still wrong pure and simple. Commercial companies are only interested in profit and we all know how Nestle are really interested in our health don’t we. A company that is responsible for countless brands that are both unhealthy and close to irresponsible. The last company I want to advise me on health is one that makes most of its profits from sugar related products. And how dare you use obesity as a reason for people to buy your product. You and your industries are the reason most people are obese (well mostly). It’s like taking medical advice from Goebbels.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf you don’t trust the water that comes directly from your tap buy a water filter. But wait I fear that the multinationals that control this industry will find a way to scare us on the safety of this method if they don’t corner the market first of cause.
As for the safety of bottled water storage is a problem and I know for a fact that this stuff can and does sit on shelves for months before it is consumed. That can’t be good for anyone.
Ask these companies that produce this water what chemicals and other metals they use to purify it, what they do with the waste and what thier long term plans are for the removal of the toxins created by these processes. I think that they may find it difficult to answer the last question as not many, if any, companies have any long term plans for the damage they create.
The multinationals are only answering the demands of the consumers & are much more likely to maintain the level of hygiene & safe levels of impurities than small or local organisations who do not have the necessary resources & are not subject to the same level of scrutiny. Sure they promote their brands but so do sporting bodies or churches or political parties. It is easy to sell products once you have a group of true believers . Do you think it would be more ethical if bottled water was only sold by GREEN organisations or alternative medicine producers? This obsession with multinationals is like wearing a brand on your forehead & it does not denote intelligence. Suckers are suckers & they will find a supplier for their delusions. Anyone for aroma therapy?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHas anyone not heard of Brita water filters??? Filtering tap water (more regulations) is likely to be safer than drinking from a bottled water (less regulations). Also, filtering is cost effective as well. What's not to like? BTW, do people who buy bottled water recycle the bottles afterwards? I wouldn't bet on it. I guess that makes the water clean (NOT) but not the soil and air.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne more thing. Storing water in PLASTIC bottles for weeks or even months? Do people actually think that's supposed to be good for water? Not trusting the government but trusting the corporations; LMAO.
Don't want to sound chauvinistic but the ready availability of bottled water in many countries where the water from the taps can't be trusted is a godsend to travellers like myself. Years ago we used to have to take sterilising kits to many countries.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAgreed, in Europe and the USA bottled water seems superfluous: I keep a bottle tap water in my fridge for thirst at home.
I keep refilling my plastic bottle for weeks and keep it on my desk at work.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou may not want your water so PURE if you hear what Dr Gerald Pollock has to say in this 'video'. His research, based on the electrical properties of water, will make the medics sit up when it's published:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRh38KfT8pw&feature=player_embedded.
Go find a stream with the most electrically charged water and fill your bottles there!
What a scam. Luckily for me, I only buy the this stuff for the bottle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPeople need to quit buying unnecessary bottled water for lazy consumption. It makes tons of waste plastic and a giant carbon foot print due to the trucking involved in transporting the product to the lazy customers. There's nothing healthy or pure about polluting the planet with all this plastic packaging just get off your lazy asses and fill a reusable metal water bottle and take that with you when you need to go mobile. For those who have a problem with tap get a filtering system. Only you can stop this.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find it sad that so many people support the two extremes in this discussion. I drink tap water because the company that sold me my water filter also tested my water before the sale and told me I didn't really need it. I bought it anyway because the anodized steel in my pipes may release lead as it decays. Every year they test my unfiltered water and say it is high quality. I have travelled many places in the USA and drank the water out of the tap. No problems anywhere except Newark New Jersey where the water made me very ill. The weird thing is that the water in Islin New Jersey was fine even though the two cities intertwine a lot. The long and the short of it is that if you get your water tested by an independent lab you know if the tap water is safe or not. If it isn't then use bottled water.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSteffen...have to disagree...mineral water is one of the worst tasting things I've every tasted(then again my wife loves it;-)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAt home I drink filtered water from the fridge.
At work(with no plumbing in the office) I drink 1 or two half liter bottles of water a day. Also, the coffee is made from tap water from the bathroom down the hall(It doesn't need to be cold and have been using the same jug for many years;-).
I also have to agree with some of the posters who switching from a can of soda to a bottle of water(which I did).
Having the convenience of some cold water when ever I want it, out weighs the fill your own bottle crowd.
And yes we recycle....
Then drill yourself a damned well and stop using wasteful bottles!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThen drill yourself a damned well in your yard and do away with the plastic water bottles!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisbucketofsquid,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi am in nj(near iselin), can you recommend an independent testing lab for tap water?
thanks!