AlnessW From United States of America, joined Jun 2010, 618 posts, RR: 1 Posted (6 months 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
Do you buy bottled water?
Obviously it's just a personal preference, but do you have your own reasons for buying water versus drinking tap water?
Personally I don't buy bottled water for the sole reason of that I can't taste a difference between bottled water and what comes out of the tap... But I'm sure that's not the case everywhere in the world.
What really baffles me is when people prefer to pay $2.50 for a bottle of water when there's a free water fountain 10 feet away...
einsteinboricua From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2010, 2043 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (6 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1887 times:
I do. Our tap water is loaded with chlorine and gives it a bad taste. However, Brita pitchers and bottles have saved me a wallet of money by taking out the chlorine of tap water. But even if there's a fountain, I prefer the bottled water (as long as it's under $1.50). And with newer bottles coming in at 16oz rather than 20oz, the Brita bottles are helping me wean off even more,
"You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky."
byronicle6 From New Zealand, joined Oct 2011, 262 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (6 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
If I'm in New Zealand or Australia up then no, I'll never buy bottled water. The tap water we get here is very good. But anywhere else, whether it be a developing country where it's not exactly safe to drink it or the US/Canada where I personally find the tap water really awful then I'll buy bottled.
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3196 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (6 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
I need a very good reason to buy bottled. It's a waste of money and an environmental train wreck.
I regularly drunk tap water in developing countries as well.
When I lived in third world countries where tap water (when there was any) was a handy method of committing suicide, I bought large refillable 5 gallon bottles and refilled smaller plastic bottles to carry them around.
Tap water is a no brainer, as long as you are reasonably confident in the company providing it and the plumbing at the user end.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
Airstud From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1858 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (6 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1887 times:
When I lived in the SF Bay Area I drank bottled or ultra-filtered water all the time. I stayed in that habit during the first part of my move to Minnesota; when I checked the bottles' fine print I saw that the water was coming from wells in central Minnesota or western Wisconsin. Then I got the annual Water Quality Report in the mail one day from the City of St. Louis Park, and learned that our tap water comes from those exact same wells. Nice going.
I bought a lidless glass pitcher and fill it up in the kitchen sink each bedtime, then stick it in the fridge. Leaving water out and uncovered like that allows the chlorine to evaporate. I wake up each day to a pitcher of chlorine-less, cold delicious drinking water in my fridge.
falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5673 posts, RR: 29 Reply 7, posted (6 months 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
I drink tap water and always have. I will occasionally drink a bottle of water of I am out and about, get thirsty, and don't want a caffeinated drink.
When I was a kid I don't remember anyone drinking bottled water unless they had a well that wasn't all that good. You would see water coolers with 5 gallon bottles, but the array of brands in small bottles was nonexistent.
A few years ago I was told that I should give my cat distilled water because it was better for him. He didn't like it, he would sniff it and walked away.
When I travel in Germany I always drink tap water (or water from the sink as my friends say). My friends think it is funny that I go to the sink and fill up a water glass. My friends really think it is odd when I put ice in the water. They have a ice cube tray and large coffee cup for when I come to visit.
My buddy, Alex, thinks it is funny that in the USA restaurants put glasses on ice water on the table. He says " Free water for free people".
CXB77L From Australia, joined Feb 2009, 2186 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (6 months 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
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I very rarely drink tap water. At home, I'd drink water that's been filtered (we have a water filter at home), but when I'm out, I always drink bottled water. So yes, I do buy a fair bit of bottled water, and I go through them quite quickly as I'm out more often than not. But at least I try to do the right thing by bringing the used bottles home and putting them in the recycling bin rather than the rubbish bin.
jetblueguy22 From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 2021 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (6 months 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
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I do buy bottled water occasionally. I have other uses for the plastic bottles so they don't just get tossed right away. Although I bought a water bottle with a brita filter on it. I absolutely love it. I'm very picky about drinking tap water for some reason, so it is perfect!
Blue
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vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8223 posts, RR: 28 Reply 10, posted (6 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
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Depends on where I am.
In Los Angeles, I buy bottled water. Though I now have a filter on my kitchen faucet, so I'll may stop that. As long as the water tastes reasonably decent, since that's why I buy bottled water in the first place (I'm not concerned about the quality...pretty sure it's fine).
In suburban Boston, I drink tap water all day every day. Tastes great.
"Two and a Half Men" was filmed in front of a live ostrich.
Ken777 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 7459 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (6 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
'll buy bottled water when traveling - primarily for a heating humidifier for my auto-pap. I have no desire to breathe the water from the tap. At home I'll use distilled water as it keeps the water chamber clean.
For drinking & cooking we have a double filter - a PUR filter on the tap and a Britta pitcher that is kept in the fridge.
Same here.
Los Angeles probably has the worse tasting tap water in the US.
Quoting Airstud (Reply 5): my move to Minnesota; when I checked the bottles' fine print I saw that the water was coming from wells in central Minnesota or western Wisconsin. Then I got the annual Water Quality Report in the mail one day from the City of St. Louis Park, and learned that our tap water comes from those exact same wells. Nice going.
Much of the Mid-west has great tap water. When I lived in Chicago/northwest Indiana, almost no one bought bottled water because the tap water was fine.
San Francisco had decent tap water.
Here in Thailand, buying bottled water is a must.
I know a few cheapskates that buy filters and use the tap but I'm still suspicious of that. Bottled water here is almost free so it makes perfect sense to buy bottled water.
NoUFO From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 7796 posts, RR: 13 Reply 15, posted (6 months 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1886 times:
Quoting francoflier (Reply 4): I need a very good reason to buy bottled. It's a waste of money and an environmental train wreck.
I understand why people buy bottled water if their tap water is chlorinated or tastes bad for other reasons. But it is simply not necessary here. As a matter of fact, some water brands use nothing else but tap water.
lewis From Greece, joined Jul 1999, 3448 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (6 months 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1886 times:
I rarely do, only when clean water is not available. I drink tap wherever I go, even in LA where I live, unless the local tap water is not for drinking. I do use water filters at home.
I think bottled water is the biggest scam ever created, Western countries have spent a lot of money and time to be able to provide drinking water to all and now everyone thinks that the tap water should not be consumed and that bottled water should always be the choice, even when most of the times it is filtered tap water and not mineral spring water. I get many weird looks when I drink tap water in the office or ask for tap water at restaurants, as if we are living in a sub-Saharan country!
falstaff From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 5673 posts, RR: 29 Reply 18, posted (6 months 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1886 times:
Quoting NoUFO (Reply 15): As a matter of fact, some water brands use nothing else but tap water
The Aquafina sold in Detroit is nothing but Detroit tap water run through a filter, (or so I was told by a employee of the Pepsi Bottling plant), you could do the same thing at home if you wanted.
When I lived in Warrensburg, Missouri the water tasted gross, but I got used to it. I used a filter at first, but that got too expensive for my budget at the time (beer and pizza were way more important). I got used to the nasty tap water in no time; it tasted bad, but nobody ever got sick off of it.
Quoting lewis (Reply 17): I think bottled water is the biggest scam ever created
I agree. Nobody used to drink it and we all got along just fine.
Quoting Airstud (Reply 5): I wake up each day to a pitcher of chlorine-less, cold delicious drinking water in my fridge.
Actually I'm not a big fan of chilled water. I've been told it's better to drink something closer to your body temperature, and over time I've come to agree with that. So, for me room temperature is the default choice, with chilled being only used when I'm in the mood for it. Having said that, I must say having a fridge with filtered water and ice on the door rocks. I've only had one the last two years, but now don't ever see myself wanting to go back.
Revelation From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 10470 posts, RR: 20 Reply 21, posted (6 months 5 days ago) and read 1888 times:
Quoting falstaff (Reply 18): The Aquafina sold in Detroit is nothing but Detroit tap water run through a filter, (or so I was told by a employee of the Pepsi Bottling plant), you could do the same thing at home if you wanted.
Indeed. There was a time when bottled water did come from some place special, but then Pepsi (Aquafina) and Coke (Dasani) realized with enough marketing and by undercutting the competition you can make a huge profit selling filtered tap water, and threw around their marketing muscle to the point where that's all you find in many stores.
flyerboy1990 From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 168 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (6 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1886 times:
I do, only out of convenience. It's pretty wasteful because of the plastic used, even though many have gone to the bottles where there's like 30% less plastic.
I do like tap water, but I find bottles to be easier on the go.
curtisman From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 996 posts, RR: 52 Reply 23, posted (6 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
I'm a bottled water drinker for the most part. I have no problem with the plastic because it is recyclable and my city has a huge recycling program and they make quite a fair chunk of money from it.
The reason I want distilled or purified or demineralized or whatever water - is because the tap water in my city is sooooo hard. I kind of chuckled at someone's comment above who said water in Canada is not good - well every city in Canada has different water and it tastes different in each place. Anyway... I once got a massive kidney stone due to the high mineral content in our tap water. I never want to go through that again... so bottled water it is for moi.
DeltaMD90 From United States of America, joined Apr 2008, 5309 posts, RR: 47 Reply 24, posted (6 months 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1885 times:
I think overall it's pretty silly, though it is good if you are travelling. In that case I usually use a canteen or camelbak. Never got the whole bottled water thing in general, but it has it's uses.
Free market aside, I think the price of bottled water is absurd, but that's capitalism
Ironically I have never flown a Delta MD-90 :)
25 Revelation: One thing I read in the Wiki page for Dasani: So, while recycling is a win, using bottled water still uses 2000 times the energy used via tap water.
26 sccutler: I'll use bottled on occasion for convenience, but usually prefer tap water. We are fortunate here in Dallas to have pretty good water. For the Aussie
27 StarAC17: I buy it in places that I know do not have the same water standards I'm used to and watch what the locals do as well. IIRC no one in Florida really dr
28 YVRLTN: We do this too We have some friends who are mega health freaks, organic everything, fat free etc etc. They actually commented how great our water is
29 greasespot: I have a friend who is a dentist and she is seeing a resurgence in cavities in kids. I thinks that this is due to them drinking bottle water and there
30 babybus: I think if you did a blind test of tap water and various bottled waters you would notice a big difference. Different waters have different tastes. You
31 falstaff: I have traveled all over the United States and I have never not drank tap water. I usually drink 6-8 glasses of tap water a day and never had any tro
32 nickh: I'll chime in: At my home and my office building, I have installed Kenmore Whole House/in-line water filters. They are relatively inexpensive (around
33 mad99: Everyday! I fill the bottle with tap water and store it in the fridge.
34 pvjin: When I travel to countries with not that good tap water I do, but in here Finland I never do as tap water is completely healthy everywhere in this cou
35 Superfly: Chang and Singha beers have their own bottled water line. It usually cost 7 baht (.21 cents) for a 600ML bottle. 13 baht (.39cents) for a 1500ML bott
36 Aesma: I drink almost exclusively carbonated water, San Pellegrino when available, so I'm in the bottled camp. The tap water I get is fine but I just don't l
37 Revelation: I keep Poland Springs carbonated water in the house, the unflavored kind. To me it's kind of a "beer placibo", I drink it when I want something speci
38 mal787: I only drink bottled water . I work on a mine site that makes its own"potable" water but it still tastes like mud. the water in the city i live is oka
39 bjorn14: In Norway you are kind of forced to buy bottled water because Norway has literally no public drinking fountains, I usually buy Voss or Isdal. The tap
40 cmf: Pretty much everyone I know here have whole house filters and drink tap water.
41 okie: Oil and Gas industry for my occupation and it may be 50 miles to the nearest water fountain. So yes bottled water when not at home or the office. One
42 AlnessW: Why, exactly? I agree. I just don't see the point in it... Why? Same goes for me. I think it's a big scam and a big waste of money. Sure, it's an imp
43 Fabo: There used to be one kind of carbonated spring mineral water sold in 0,7l glass bottles when I was a kid... tasted soooo goood.... Nowadays you can on
44 swissy: And these two brands are horrible tasting , would not touch them with a 10' pole. The problem is just like some people mentioned above, water taste d
45 flyingturtle: No. The only exception is when I buy a bottle of mineral water when travelling. And then, I readily spend extra money on a really tasty mineral water
46 aerdingus: Never in Ireland, but having just been through my first Spanish summer with 36C in the day, & 28C at night, it was a necessity! I just refilled it
47 RobertNL070: Me too. Truly excellent tap water here.
48 Bill142: According to Jeremy Jackson drinking bottled water makes you bi-sexual.
49 max999: I drink tap water, but occasionally buy bottled if I'm thirsty and I'm not near a water fountain. And I will not buy bottled water that has been shipp
50 Geezer: We live out in "the boonies", and are ten miles from "city water" (thank heavens) our well is quite deep, and NEVER runs out; I get it tested every ye
51 MD11Engineer: In Germany not, since the tap water´s quality is pretty much guaranteed, but in the Philippines I only drink bottled water from a reputable source du
52 L1011: When I see the HUGE bottled water displays in grocery stores, I think that somebody's making some easy money. The tap water in the U.S. is completely
53 FrankAMS: The standard for water in almost all 1st world countries is very high, and completely safe to drink. Taste is a matter of preference, but drinking bot
54 swissy: you can easily oxidize that out of your well water I should send you some of our H2O for your Miss A.... Docs would be perplex The problem in general
55 Aesma: I didn't know reverse osmosis water was sold. As a matter of fact an uncle of mine created a small company making reverse osmosis machines for the hom
57 HAWK21M: If the source of the water is suspect.....Then Bottled packed water is the best option.
58 swissy: To much and people drink it to much too... ok for short term but not good for long term IMO, TDS's have been removed.... Got one of these soda stream
59 swissy: Just compare what's in the water, between the two and you will find out why the SP taste way better Cheerios,
60 N1120A: Yep. Its even more insidious than that. They already were using filtered municipal water to make soda, so they figured they could bottle it, market i
61 okie: Dasani, Coca Cola's brand is R/O along with a multitude of others. There a many municipal systems that are R/O due to mineral content of supply water
62 N1120A: Greasespot made a great point - going crazy with bottled water has been horrible for dental health. You would have a great point if the R/O water (whi
63 swissy: Mineral water from Europe is harvest and bottled there...hence why there is no harvest/bottled Evian H2O from the US, China, Taiwan... The Coke, Peps
64 L-188: I used to buy pallet lots of the stuff for work. Drill Rigs on the slope don't have running water. And it is good to carry a couple of Of them on my A
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