I'M ONE OF THE CULPRITS WHO BUYS BOTTLE WATER - "POLAND SPRINGS". I DO RECYCLE THOUGH - PAPER, PLASTIC, GLASS - WHATEVER MY TOWN ALLOWS. NOW YOU HAVE ME WONDERING TAP V. POLAND SPRINGS. THANKS

Sent by Florence Ruge | 11:28 AM ET | 06-29-2007

It's funny. I just bought a bottle of water (one of the two companies you mentioned) at our office vending machine. It cost $1.15. You can get a "wild berry" flavored version for $1.25. I tried that once and the artificial sweetener left an after-taste I didn't like.

I buy the bottled water mostly for the bottle to hold tap water (our office water is filtered) that I fill a couple times a day. I only buy a new bottled water when the old bottle looks bad.

I know, I could get bottles cheaper than $1.15 but these are a good size and don't add a taste to the water. By the way, I could never wash the "wild berry" taste out of that bottle to use with our tap water so I had to throw it away.

Sent by Jim Dodd | 11:29 AM ET | 06-29-2007

I've always liked bottled water not for the taste or the supposed health benefit or any other reason emphasized in the marketing, but instead for the convenience. There are so many times in life when you can't easily get to a tap or a water fountain. At these times, it is infinitely better for you to buy a bottle of water than a soda, coffee or anything else in a convenience store.

Sent by Mark | 11:34 AM ET | 06-29-2007

Get a water cooler! They're not just for the office anymore. Maybe it's just bottled water in bigger bottles but it tastes great. No tap water "grittiness" or "plasticy" bottled water taste.
Or am i delusional thinking water has taste? I swear I can tell you when I'm drinking Dasani blindfolded, it's slightly off.

Sent by David | 11:44 AM ET | 06-29-2007

As I learned long ago, Aquafina/Dasani/etc. are--even worse than being just tap water--not held to water safety standards; I've not touched them since. Add to that the disposable culture they reinforce and the potentially harmful and hormones that have been shown to eventually leach out of the bottles and into the water and even the "reusability" aspect is bunk. I hope the word continues to spread and the bottled tap water industry goes the way of the dinosaurs that died to make the containers.

Skip a couple bottles and put the money into an old Nalgene bottle and fill it from the tap; they're bigger, safer, cheaper, and just plain better.

Sent by Ben | 12:11 PM ET | 06-29-2007

Evian is "naive" spelled backwards.

Sent by Marra | 2:04 PM ET | 06-29-2007

This guy, Fishman is dead on!
Now what about delivery pizza?

Sent by loyd Fields | 3:29 PM ET | 06-29-2007

I agree with Mark. If I'm out and about and don't have a drink handy yet feel I need one, I can pay for soda or water. I choose the water. I also reuse bottles to fill with tap water. I only buy bottles of the cheapest brand water I can get then wash and reuse the bottles SEVERAL times. I fill about 1/3 of the empty bottle with tap water, freeze it, then add cold tap water to the bottle before my kids and I go to the zoo or on picnics. The water stays colder longer and I'm not paying $3.00 for a bottle at the zoo or buying my kids a "slushy" or soda on a hot day. Of course I also recycle the bottle when I don't need it or want it rather than throw it in the garbage.

Sent by Lori Batzloff | 3:36 PM ET | 06-29-2007

Why would anybody buy a bottle of water just to use the bottle? How about buying a plastic cup with a lid on it? It'll hold just as much water as a bottle, pretty much all of them fit in cup holders, and they keep the drink colder, longer.

I always take one with me when I leave the house and, if I need a fill, just take it into the convenience store and fill it with ice (they don't even charge you most of the time) and water.

I've never understood the whole bottled water thing (although I have had Fiji water a few times and ... damn. It's good. Not worth the price, but better than just standard H2O).

Sent by Mark | 4:03 PM ET | 06-29-2007

I don't generally buy bottled water. We filter our tap water at home. Never understood it, really.

Sent by Anna-Liza | 5:23 PM ET | 06-29-2007

Right on about bottled water. But water in coolers and water from taps is not necessarily healthy either. Chlorine has been proven carcinogenic inlcuding that it adds risk of breast and bladder cancer. There is a close correlation between fluoride and infertility. Fluroide increases the risk of skeletal and joint problems. Arthritis, breathing problems, bone cancer for boys and other health issues have been connected with fluoride - even in low dosages. Even the Dental Association now says it is dangerous for babies. See www.friendofwater.com for more information.

Yes, stop buying bottled water for the sake of the environment and your health. But you need a good water filter and then fill your own bottle.

Sent by Tim Hickey | 6:09 PM ET | 06-29-2007

Our family seems to collect the bottles even though we almost never purchase them. Soccer treats, business meetings, scout camps...the things are provided everywhere! So we always bring them home, wash and fill 'em with plain old tap water, toss in the fridge. Then we have the convenience with no cost. We've been doing this for a long time...and only rarely through one out. Buying bottled water is nonsensical to us.

Sent by Ahna | 6:21 PM ET | 06-29-2007

I rarely buy bottled water, but refill the bottles I do get from my own filtered tap water. I wash them every other filling or so and refill again. I too am simply appalled at how thoughtlessly we consume and toss, soothing any prick of conscience by recycling. Not to minimize the importance of recycling but isn't it time we moved on to REDUCING?

Sent by Jan Weber | 6:24 PM ET | 06-29-2007

try Klean Kanteen for the ideal water carrying bottle - a stainless steel alternative to alternative to potentially harmful plastic. http://www.kleankanteen.com/

Sent by Sephira | 9:18 PM ET | 06-29-2007

You folks who think it's okay just because you recycle the bottles are missing the point. Creating the plastic and transporting the product require fossil fuels, all because we are too lazy to fill a nalgene bottle from the tap.

Sent by Ange | 11:43 PM ET | 06-29-2007

I keep 12 liters of bottled water in my car. I drink well over half a gallon of water each day because my medication requires it. I recycle every bottle. Bottled water is more than a just a convenience for me. It is a real aid to my health. It's a challenge to fill enough water bottles from home or elsewhere. Now I can count on having enough to drink while I travel.

Sent by Sheryl | 3:50 AM ET | 06-30-2007

Only one quick comment. There is NO WAY that a Brita filter will produce the same quality water as reverse osmosis. The first couple of times you use it the resin will probably do a credible job of removing most of the stuff you don't want, but it just cannot cope with the volume and people rarely change them often enough due to the cost factor. Reverse Osmosis is definately the best and most economical way to provide 90%+ pure water for your family at a very reasonable cost. I have been using the same Culligan system for over 25 years, and it is as good as new. Each service provides mr with the latest technology in filter elements and this avewrages out at less than 50c a day for unlimited supplies from my own faucet on my sink.

Sent by Roger Price Sydney Australia | 6:05 AM ET | 06-30-2007

I'm so glad for this story, I just quit buying bottled water last month.
I do have a PUR filtered water dispenser in my fridge! I'm getting a reverse osmosis system next.
I had to get in the habit of taking my own water/container when I go out the door. I found another non-plastic container that looks like clear plastic but it's MADE FROM CORN! - visit: newwaveenviro.com
Down with Corporate water! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Sent by Stanley Newton | 9:23 AM ET | 06-30-2007

one thing that might stop some people from buying water is the cost, a pint of water costs about a dollar so the per gallon cost is $8.00. I like to point that out to people who bitch about the price of gasoline.

Sent by dan of steele | 10:35 AM ET | 06-30-2007

Bottled water-even if it comes from a spring is not bottled "at the source" like the deceptive advertising claims and has to have chlorine and (probably) other additives added to it to transport it down to the bottling plant where they are removed so you are probably better off getting your own water from the tap and putting it through a filter or havign a reverse osmosis system-same/same. Probably little cost difference depending on the system.

Sent by Renee | 11:49 AM ET | 06-30-2007

I have always resented having to "buy" water. When I am out, I'll go into a store or eatery and go to the counter to ask for a glass of water. I offer to pay for it but have never had any one take any money.
I had not thought about the accumulations of all that plastic; thinking that recycling would be an adequate solution. That's one more reason that we should NOT buy bottled water

Sent by Judith Ingram | 12:09 PM ET | 06-30-2007

We installed a great R/O system in our home, and it's been the best investment. I'm a teacher, and I've taught 4-8 children at my home every day for the past couple of years. I am always disgusted when the parents send bottled water in their children's lunches, even though I remind them that I provide filtered water for FREE. Some people just don't get it! Even worse is those who send sugary drinks in pouches or boxes that can't be recycled. AARG!

Sent by Kim from Phoenix | 5:07 PM ET | 06-30-2007

I fill up a 2-gallon jug from a machine in front of my local grocery store. That costs me 35 cents per gallon. I dispense it at home into another smaller bottle, which I often put in the freezer so I can have ice water when I go hiking.

I'd like to see localities ban those small water bottles, the way San Francisco recently did with plastic grocery bags. http://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/2007/03/frisco_bans_plastic_bags.html

Sent by Kelly Arbor of Auburn, CA | 9:16 PM ET | 06-30-2007

Plastic bottle pollution is just horrendous, everywhere I run, all I see is discarded plastic water bottles. I no longer buy bottled water as a personal stand against this trashing of our environment, I use a Hydropal instead, which allows me to drink filtered tap water wherever I am, I got my hydropal from www.hydropal.com.au, regards

Sent by Glen | 12:05 AM ET | 07-01-2007

In our Korean-language class I had a bottle of water on my desk while we were doing a unit on numbers and related materials. The teacher asked me how much was my water. I really couldn't understand her and started looking for the volume statement lon the label. Since I don't buy water but fill up bottles that variously come my way (as promotions, etc.), it never occurred to me that someone would ask the price of water in a bottle! I just thought Ihad misundertood her.

Sent by Kim Dammers | 2:00 AM ET | 07-01-2007

I generally carry a Nalgene bottle wherever I go. It's a nuisance sometimes, lugging the thing around, but I drink a lot of water and I prefer not to buy it bottled. I started seven years ago, when I was still in high school, but in college it wasn't so strange. Now I'm living in Poland, and nobody else has one. Reusing plastic bottles doesn't make sense because they don't last very long, and besides, I've heard a few times that after a while, the chemicals that make up the bottle start sloughing off and into your water, so you're no longer drinking just water, but plastic too. Maybe I should make that statement with concrete evidence, but as far as I know, it's true--you can look it up yourself.

Sent by Olivia | 6:44 AM ET | 07-01-2007

how many water bottles (plastic) are the equivalent of a gallon of gas?
Hint: solids have denser energy storage than liquids....

Sent by Glenn Pool | 12:09 PM ET | 07-01-2007

I have two Nalgene bottles (made in the USA)that I purchased at a military commisary. I wash each of them out as I drink the water and they become emptied and I then refill them with tap water from my community's water source... I DO NOT buy bottled water... Plastic bottles, my my, just think of the Land Fill piled high with plastic water bottles... What will the Anthropologist of our 300 years future have to say about us?

Sent by Mary Leader | 12:39 PM ET | 07-01-2007

Where does all the water for those bottles come from? What about one of our small town's aquifers? A new water bottling plant on the north side of town has been fought (and is still being fought) for over six years to no avail. Even the state's department of environmental services says it is OK to withdraw 350,000 gallons of water every day from this bedrock aquifer. The replenishment rate is undefined. Pump tests have drawn hazardous chemicals down into neighboring wells. Not to mention the neighboring wetland preserve that might be adversely effected. The water for all those bottles comes from somewhere. We don't want it taken from here. But big business and has more clout to obtain its own objectives.

Sent by Margaret | 1:34 PM ET | 07-01-2007

Poland Spring suck about 32 truckloads a day of water out of an acquifer about 6 miles from where I live. Nothing special about this water except the enormous profit margin for Nestle, and the absolute unconscionable waste of resources.

Barack Obama's NH HQ has just switched from bottled water to filtered tapwater in response to this awakening.

Sent by Chuck | 4:37 PM ET | 07-01-2007

Nestle Waters gets most of its water for its various brands, (Arrowhead, Poland Springs, Ozarka, etc.), from natural spring water, which will become more valuable in the years to come. They're smart. In most cases, if individuals who are near an area where Nestle is mining water notice that their water tables or wells or rivers are drying up due to the bottling process and product, they have to prove that in court. In McCloud, California, where Nestle has proposed a one million square foot water bottling facility, Nestle has a contract with the local utility district for one of the largest water draws in the country for 3/100's of a cent per gallon, for basically, 100 years. The residents of McCloud and the folks downstream could very well be paying Nestle for their most basic water needs in the future. Could this be called "privatization?" Is it occurring all over the world? Should the source of such springs remain sacred for the people and the ecology of the region?

Sent by Betsy | 9:58 PM ET | 07-01-2007

Isn't this just a tiny portion of our societal vulnerability to MASS ADVERTISING--and our socialized acceptance of something new, different, and visually tied to "the good life?"
It's very closely related to motivations for SUV sales (and total disregard for their rollover death abilities) and exploding drug sales (many for fundamentally minor ailments which will pass easily with the passage of a bit of time....
(If your tap water has an "off" taste, small charcoal filters--screw onto the faucet--are available for less than $20 at lumber yards and farm stores)

Sent by Charles Yager | 10:27 AM ET | 07-02-2007

Be careful about reverse osmosis! It removes all mineral content of the water, leaving it highly corrosive and likely unhealthy to drink!

Both Pepsi and Coca Cola are adding some mineral back to the RO water to make it palatable. Private water purification contractors who install RO at your tap do not do this important step!

Public water customers pay the utility to treat and deliver high quality water to their property line. Depaending on their specific needs, the customer can make some minor improvements to plumbing or at the tap that will make the water superior to bottled water.

If a public water customer objects to chlorinated tap water, I suggest carbon block technology at the tap and showerhead. This point of use technology is manageable by most homeowners who have reasonable dexterity. The chlorine residual that is present up to the treatment unit will keep the carbon bacteria free.

If drinking the water is the only objection, pitcher filters also seem to do a good job removing the chlorine taste.

Sent by Richard L. Amirault | 11:22 AM ET | 07-02-2007

I carried a Nalgene bottles for years (decades?), but switched to a Klean Kanteen stainless steel metal bottle when I found out that Nalgene and all polycarbonate bottles leach Bisphenol-A (an endocrine disruptor) into the water in small amounts. This is not good, hence the switch to stainless. I never buy bottled water unless I'm in an unusual situation. The waste and the pollution involved in transporting it are unconscionable.

Sent by Rebecca | 11:29 AM ET | 07-02-2007

One thing not being considered is where all this water is coming from? You should read some of the stories in towns up in Ontaria where they are trying to put in additional water bottling companies to keep up with our demand. There is significant mining - yes water from aquifers and springs is often depleted with heavey usage going on to supply bottled water. I don't buy bottled water for this and the many other reasons - plastic bottles and fossil fuels. Buy the R/O system at home.

Sent by Kirk | 12:03 PM ET | 07-02-2007

Don't buy any Nalgene. They test their products on animals! There is no need to do that! Testing on animals reinforces the use-and-discard mentality that got us in this mess in the first place!

Sent by Shandi | 12:04 PM ET | 07-02-2007

I am an Aquafina freak, I keep a case of 24 at my home, one at my job, and one in my car. Recently I learned that the bottles I keep in my car can increase the propensity for cancer, WOW! I haven't drinken tap water in years, but I will definitely do my research in order to make wiser decisions.To be or not to be, Abort my bottled water(Aquafina) fetish, or continue as usual, that is the question.

Sent by Arlisha | 12:20 PM ET | 07-02-2007

Re: Shandi's comments. The typical Nalgene is indeed polycarbonate and therefore prone to leaching of chemicals. I've never purchased one of the clear PC bottles from them as I've heard horror stories of them cracking in the cold. They make excellent HDPE bottles (http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=58).

As for the animal research component; Nalgene does not test on animals. They supply labware which is used in most laboratories including those that use animal testing. Nobody fights Scientific Instruments or other lab equipment manufacturers because their products are used by labs who test with animals (imagine boycotting Dell because their computers are used to analyze results from animal testing).

Reiterating: Nalgene HDPE bottles and filling from your own tap along with whatever filtering you feel like seems to be, by far, the best option.

Sent by Ben | 12:50 PM ET | 07-02-2007

Carrying water, the essential component for life on earth, has always and will always be a major occupation of the two-legged beings. Bottles free us to do other things, to read, to write and to travel. Whether it comes from Fiji or the downtown tap really doesn't matter to most. There are many things we can do to reduce our environmental impacts, but the way I see it, bottled water is no more of a problem than our overall lack of will to think about our children's futures.

Sent by Connie | 4:47 PM ET | 07-02-2007

I buy bottled water for convenience...usually kids ball games. They come in very handy at weekend tournaments. This summer I re-thought things and bought each child a gallon thermos with a drinking spout. It's each child's responsibility to make sure their jug is clean, and there's fresh ice (tap) water in it for a weekend of games. If you run out, there's usually a facility where the container can be easily rinsed; and concession stands will only charge 0-.50 for ice.

As far as reusing that bottle after you've drank from it. In the past year I watched a show on the local news where they grew some pretty nasty stuff in petri dishes that came from rinsing and re-using the bottle...even after being washed in the dishwasher.

Give up the bottles already! There are many good brands of reusable insulated drink-ware that can be thoroughly cleaned and re-used. Another small step for the environment.

Sent by Dorothy | 1:23 AM ET | 07-03-2007

Yes, we drink bottled water and use it in our coffee maker because our water is of very poor quality and the taste is awful.
Our city/county water department system is terrible. For the past 2 years they have sent our warning notices of their failure to pay recommend guidelines!
Your comment regarding the convenience and the rise in purchases of bottled water is great news because it means we are thinking healthier living. It's convenient which means when you are traveling your are also less prone to health issues from unknown local water issues. Everyone just needs to remember to recycle!
How about doing a story on the state of the water systems throughout the country?

Sent by Norma - Palatka FL | 12:30 PM ET | 07-03-2007

The "Fast Company" writer bemoans the fact that an industry is supplying us with "with something we don't need." Well, we don't really need magazine writers, either. They consume resources, generate carbon dioxide, and produce pulp products that are destined for the landfill. Still, sometimes it's nice to have them around.

Sent by David Morris | 5:41 PM ET | 07-03-2007

My comments are as an individual, however, I work in the Water Resources department of my state and have compared tap water to bottled water as part of my work assignments. Here are a few facts.

The LEAST EXPENSIVE bottled water available in our state capital costs 3,000 times more than tap water. This was 5-gallon bottles like your office cooler. Smaller bottles available at the grocery store were even more expensive, even by the case.

Water bottlers are not held to any bacterial or health standards other than those SUGGESTED by industry trade organizations. Tap water is held to legal requirements for bacteria, virus and other contaminants. Moreover, tap water is regularly tested for these contaminants at least monthly.

Our state, and I believe every other state, has published this water quality data for every public water supply system in the state. In other words, you can log onto your state website, find the division of water quality (not my division), and look up the system that supplies your house. From there you can see the entire history of compliance and non-compliance. This is public domain information. Very few take the time to look it up, but it is available. We could find no such comparable date from bottled water suppliers. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency has done a number of comparisons of public water systems for numerous states for particular contaminants, for example arsenic.

Ground water from springs or wells is typically less contaminated than surface water. In our state 45% of the public water supplies come from ground water. Thus, bottled or tap, much of it comes from aquifers. By the way, depending on the local geology and local contamination sources, you can find endocrine disruptors in ground water. Endocrine disruptors result from prescription medicine, fertililzers, pesticides, and other chemicals that get into the aquifer. EPA has much info on this subject.

We could find no research indicating taste differences between tap water and bottled water.

We found the disposal of empty bottles to be a major problem. While recycling helps, most people do not recycle, and the net result is a major (not minor, but major) problem for land fill disposal. For this reason several environmental magazines strongly advocated using tap water.

For what it's worth, the concensus in our office was to refill containers of your choosing (including Nalgene and bottled water containers) with tap water and keep them handy for wherever and whenever you want water.

As you like it...

Sent by Mike J | 4:07 PM ET | 07-05-2007

I have lived in three different towns, and they all have horrible smelling water. If water has a smell or taste I will not drink it. There are some brands that are just bottled tap water and I do think that is pointless. I only drink bottled water that is 100% pure natural water. I will not put dangerous cheicals into my body. If it is not 100% free of chlorine and fluoride I won't drink it. I do recycle everything I can. I buy only organic food, and grow an organic garden. By having a garden, I save gas from having it transported. I even buy natural cleaning products to prevent polluting the environment. But I will not drink tap water unless it is 100% pure water and nothing else!

Sent by Karinda | 8:29 PM ET | 07-07-2007

What's the difference between a bottle filled with clear "water" and one that is filled with "water", sugar, and artificial flavor and coloring? If you want to ban water in plastic bottles then you should also want to ban Coca Cola in plastic bottles.

Sent by Fred | 10:35 AM ET | 07-08-2007

Mike J's comments were right on target. I work for a state geological survey in a state where 90% of the drinking water comes from subsurface sources. The water resources of my state have been severely impact from rapid and continuing development and population growth. Our ground-water resources are, in many areas, no longer a renewable resource and we are "mining" the water. Our springs are showing water-quality degradation.

A number of water-bottling companies have set up shop in the state, some pumping directly from springs and others from wells placed in the conduit feeding the spring. A few pump from wells completed in the state's principle aquifer. One company that pumps water from the spring vent had to truck water in from a well in another area to maintain the water flow from the spring basin which forms the head of a river system. We are impacting not only our ground water but also our surface water as the companies bottle the water and ship it all over the country.

Most of us at the geological survey refill various containers with tap water. We also encourage our field staff to not purchase bottled water on a regular basis.

Tom S

Sent by Tom Scott | 9:24 AM ET | 07-10-2007

As soon as I realized the carbon imprint the bottled water industry is creating, I was shocked. Who would've thought that bottled water was bad for the environment. Luckily, I have seen several programs helping to fight bottled water, such as 'Refill Not Landfill' by Nalgene and New York officials handing out free refillable bottles.

Sent by Karl Schutz | 9:39 AM ET | 07-10-2007

i was very inspired by this segment and am committed to no longer buying bottled water. we are using only our bria pitcher and refillable bottles for each member of our family.

Sent by Susan Carey | 7:29 PM ET | 07-10-2007

Go to fluoridealert.com, and then tell me what you think about your tap water. Fluoride gets added in San Diego starting 10/1/07. I'm moving east about 25 miles & getting well water.

Sent by Lee Roze | 8:19 PM ET | 07-11-2007

Perhaps you should point people towards the Dasani fiasco in Britain - Coke turned up, and started 'reverse whatevering' tap water in Sidcup. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasani)

The launch failed hilariously ... ni the UK at least regulations say that, if a bottle says "Mineral Water" it has to come from an approved spring. if it says "Spring Water", it could come from anywhere ...

Sent by Tim L | 12:56 PM ET | 07-12-2007

I can't believe that you morons on this thread are buying into this crap! Bottle water is not a threat to the environment as some in the radical environmental movement wants you to think; most people buy bottle water on two occasions: to have one on the go when it's purely hot outside or to have a couple of bottles in store, in case of a natural disaster or a serious emergency where tap water wouldn't be available. Yet, trying to ban bottle water in the namesake of so-called eco-friendly policy would be more damaging to society, rather than being positive. Tell me, how do you feel when your city's own tap water becomes contaminated all the sudden, and your mayor refuse his own citizens to buy bottle water because of a flawed environmental policy that he supported recently?

Sent by Johnny | 12:37 PM ET | 07-15-2007

Hey out there does anyone know what number plastic bottle is the safest for drinking water??? 1-7 or other? Personally I distill my water as do most of the alternative doc's out there. But....am concerned about the plastic bottles to store it in. HELP!

Sent by Marsha W. | 6:33 PM ET | 07-15-2007

I don't care how good they say NYC tap water is, bottled water tastes better so that is what I drink. Sometimes my tap water comes out of the tap yellow; people seem to forget that no matter how good tap water is at its source, who knows what kinds of crud it picks up along the way flowing through old, rusty pipes! Besides, I resent the idea that they throw fluoride in there; most filters do not filter that out. Besides, if I drank filtered tap water as much as I drank bottled water, I'm sure I would be spending just as much money replacing filters as I am buying bottles of water. And I doubt that the accumulation of spent filters in the garbage is better for the environment than the plastic bottles are!

People just need to accept that there are some very good things about bottled water, and there are a couple of ways to make it more acceptable environmentally. One, of course, is to recycle the bottles. I noticed that Canada has recycling bins *everywhere* there are garbage bins; why doesn't the U.S. do that? If all plastic bottles are recycled, then no new plastic would have to be made, would it? As for transport; that is a very good reason for those auto makers to start building hybrid or biodiesel-run trucks, isn't it!

Sent by Bottled Water Drinker | 4:28 PM ET | 07-16-2007

Here is a nice article on plastics for water bottles:

http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles

Sent by Marc Franke | 10:22 PM ET | 07-19-2007

THERE IS NO TRUTH TO THIS CLAIM. It is a myth and you should really do your homework before you perpetuate a dangerous rumor such as this. See for yourself...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/asseenon5/13650823/detail.html

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/bottled-water.htm

Sent by Intelligent | 2:12 PM ET | 07-20-2007

I rufuse to buy bottle water. If I'm forced to, I re-use it 100 times by refilling with tap and putting it in the fridge. We have a water filter thing-a-ma-jig here at work and it taste fine. (2 liters a day) I recycle at home and at work and bring employees trash home and put in my recycle bin. Kind of a freak but doing my part.
You may email me recycle news if needed.

A Mercer
Neptune Bch FL

Sent by alan mercer | 10:12 AM ET | 07-23-2007

From my experience, it is not only the purity of the tap water, but the pipes that carry the water that must be considered. Older plumbing can transfer metal and other particulates to the water. It's not merely a matter of taste, but an issue of health as well. I currently use a tap water filter on my kitchen sink faucet, but it cannot eliminate all the bad taste and the particulates out of the Phoenix city water. Although counter top filters work better, the cost can be prohibitive for some. Any advice?

Sent by Regina Cosio | 3:29 PM ET | 07-23-2007

OK, to make a softer imprint on the environment, we all need to switch to whole house (business) water filtration systems. They are not expensive. And use the same container to take with you - not a plastic one that leaches further contaminants into your body.
It takes oil to manufacture plastic, gasoline to transport it, and most of it is tap water anyway. Bottled water is not regulated in ANY WAY. So if you think you are getting something special, think again!
I found a great filter at: www.purifiedcleanwater.com
It has everything you need and will last many years. It leaves minerals in the water and comes through at a neutral pH. That means that any water going back into the water table will not be contaminated with chlorine, pesticides, hormones, etc. This will do a lot to clean up our water tables.

Sent by Janice Jackson | 8:00 PM ET | 07-23-2007

I just recently returned from a six week trip across the United States. During this trip I did use my Nalgene bottle for ALL of my drinking needs. Not once throughout my 10,000 mile journey did I have a hard time filling my bottle. Every store with a self serve soda fountain allowed me to fill it (even free ice), and every restaurant and gas station with a restroom allowed me to use it, where i then filled my bottle.

Although I only drank water, whenever I had the hankering for something other than water I had to stear clear because of my refusal to buy a one time use bottle. I think that we may be looking at this problem the wrong way. Why don't stores that have soda fountains allow personal bottles to be filled with whatever they want at a cost considerably less than if we were to use a one time use cup. This also goes for supermarkets. All throughout South America you could only purchase soda if you brought your own glass bottle, or pay a premium that was as much as 5 times the price of the liquid that filled it. Maybe we'd be willing to put a bottle in our reusable shopping bags if we had a way to fill it.

In a land full of conveniences I think we sacrifice a couple of the little ones.

Sent by Sean Alves | 9:36 PM ET | 07-23-2007

Water quality is a science. It is not just a matter of taste, even though that is a major reason for purchasing bottled water. One of the other major reasons is that most people don't know what factors maake water safe. During the Carter administration each water supplier had to state on the bill how the water complied with EPA water standards. When Reagan took office that reqirement disappeared. I appreciate the comment from a water engineer about the state web site info. Most people don't know that. I didn't.
Buying bottled water is as much a distrust of government to be concerned about our health and well being as it is about taste. Water science information needs to be available to people inorder to make informed decisions and have an impact on their local water supplies. My waater was always high in radioactive contamination due to a local uranium processing plant that did some questionable practices with contaminate waste and equipment. Oil companies put salt water in the ground to make the level of oil rise without having to drill deeper. This gets into aquifers and well waater supplies. Who pays to clean this up?
I have some concerns about fluoride and chlorine in water. I only know empirically that when I water my garden with city water, it survies but it does not thrive. I have to wait on a rain to make the garden really thrive and produce. Is this the same for people? We need discourse and study on this that won't happen with the current governmental leadership, nationally and locally.
If people knew the information, scientifically and politically generated, then I think we would all feel better aobut using tap water. We collectively have the idea that politicians, scientists and health professionals don't care if we live or die. Money rules.

Sent by Sam Allton | 1:28 PM ET | 07-26-2007

Actually, the fact that it comes from tap water doesnt surpise or bother me at all. The real danger in the marketing is that Aquafina is labelled as "purified" water. In reading the process (which by the way is NOTHING like a Brita water filter) valuble and necessary salts are removed, leaving the end product very close to distilled water, without actually distilling it. The danger here is that distilled water can actually dehydrate you! Making it dangerous to consume regularly or on hot, sweaty days.
Buying filtered water doesnt bother me at all. Most people are lax about changing their home filters and washing out the dispensers, creating a breeding ground for mold.
For those of us with wells that contain trace amounts of lead or other toxins thanks to corporate polluting of groundwater, bottled water just makes sense....as long as its filtered and not distilled.

Sent by Trey Greyjoy | 12:33 PM ET | 07-27-2007

Here is a song about the water issue that is going on in Fryeburg Me.
http://openmic.folkalley.com/ScotMontgomery
It's called the Nestle Water Store
Music can help open peoples eyes and ears.
Nestle is a predator that needs to be stopped.
The very people that Nestle targets for there market are the ones that should know better.
I know I have seen the light

Sent by Scot Montgomery | 2:50 PM ET | 07-27-2007

Of course Pepsi is not the only vendor to find itself in hot water over source labeling. Coke's problems in the UK rank as one of the more notable product launch fiascos in recent years.
For more on "sources of misdirection" in the water industry click here:
http://sneakybusiness.typepad.com/sneaky/2007/07/aquafina-comes-.html

Sent by DayNovo | 4:57 PM ET | 07-27-2007

I stopped using bottled water a long time ago, long before the Live Earth Concert. Not just because of the water possibly being just tap water, but also because of the environmental impact. Although I usually recycled the bottles.

But to use tap water where I live would be rather crazy. I bought a very inexpensive Aquasana water filter from Water Filters USA http://www.waterfilter-usa.com
which delivers the best water I have used. I used R.O. water but that takes all the minerals out of the water.

I think this excitement over NOT drinking bottled water is misguided if we send everyone back to tap water...what about the chlorine? If you are going to do that let your water sit out for a while so the chlorine will evaporate. Add a pinch of celtic sea salt so you can have the good minerals in the water.

Sent by Yvonne | 12:42 PM ET | 08-15-2007

This is such a difficult topic for me. Healthwise, pure spring water is the healthiest thing, besides clean air, that we can put into our bodies. It contains the life energy and nutrients that we need. Plastic is bad for us and the environment. Tap water is much more than just it's chemical properties, and I don't believe it to be healthy. I am very sensitive, and I notice a dramatic mood and health difference when I drink spring water, as opposed to reverse osmosis water or tap. I've also noticed a positive difference with distilled water, but never drank it for a lengthy period to know longterm effects. Chlorine is terrible for us, and this is known, that is why they are putting a different kind of it in the water systems now, something which carbon filters won't remove. I've used Brita and cheap filters as well, and wondered how good that is for our landfills, especially when you have super hard water like here and the filters don't last more than a month. My concern too,is what happens when something happens within our water systems that shuts our water supplies down or terribly contaminates it... Obviously best case scenario is living in a small community that has access to its own pure spring water. But then the bottle companies will take their water away, just as they're doing now. I'm not surprised at all that some of the bottled waters out there filter the tap water. I've known for years that you had to read between the lines to know what you were getting, especially in terms of bottled water. So, I don't have the answer. I don't think tap water is good for us. But if we're living in the city, without a clean source, perhaps the best option is an at home distiller, carbon filter, or r.o. (or refill your own bottles at an r.o. store). Definitely we need to invest in reusable containers to carry with us. But I don't know if there's a perfect solution. At the moment I use r.o. water, bottled spring water, and sometimes tap water when I'm out and about. And I'm just dreaming of better days of pure air and water. But we need a more realistic solution right now. We need to eliminate all unhealthy elements from the water, period. It would be great if we could recharge the water with natural energy (crystals, sunlight, nature). Then, as someone said, perhaps add sea salt or something that replenishes some nutrients NATURALLY. Not with manufactured vitamins.

All in all, this brings to light for me that we need to halt our use of these plastic bottles. Buying bottled water is not the answer. What is good for the environment, in the end is what it good for us.

Sent by Melissa | 3:01 PM ET | 08-27-2007

Brita has come out with a glass pitcher edition that's only available in the UK at the moment.

Sent by Lori | 8:03 PM ET | 10-07-2007

Thank you Sephira! I just ordered one for everyone on my Christmas list - including me. What a simple solution to such a huge problem!

Sent by JD | 3:19 PM ET | 12-07-2007

I'm looking for health aware people and companies to create partners with to get out this much needed information
to people who are confused about all the choices on hydration, and what is best for them.

After 10 years of research, we have found the PERFECT WATER. It has not yet been released for
sale until March 15, 2008.

I need help in getting my web-site out to the world. With EGYPTIAN Sea Salt, PH9 and Moleculary Bound Oxygen
H2O-6; sports teams will have more balance, flexibility, strength and will be able to jump higher. Also, cancer, arthritis, back problems and sleeping disorders will be helped with more oxygen.

Please help me pass this along. It's making everyone healthier; one drink at a time.

Joy Hemme
www.PerfectWaterStore.com
877.459.2551

Sent by Joy Hemme | 9:09 PM ET | 03-03-2008

Plastic is in no way good for humans or the planet. If you care about your health and that of the planet and future generations, please use stainless steel, refillable bottles, and for those who can, it's best to switch to whole-house distillation or filtration systems. We must also put more pressure on our government and elected officials to ensure clean, healthy, safe, pure water in our taps.

Until we have that, distilled water is the best and most pure, as its process mimics the process in nature. This is what you should drink for purifying, cleansing, and removing the toxins that accumulate in our cells, arteries, etc. It removes the inorganic minerals that are toxic and that can and do cause build-up in our systems. I would supplement this with drinking a trusted brand of natural spring water to add in important minerals... I would NOT trust anything bottled by large corporations. They also swoop in and take water from communities who need and rely on these water supplies to survive. Massive pumping of the supplies ruins the ecosystems and hurts the local people. Many communities have successfully fought these invasions to the public trust and prevented this from happening, but others may not be so lucky. The only thing that can fix these problems is if we all make better, healthier, and more compassionate choices.

For more information on the bottled water industry and the scam that's being put over on consumers (standards for bottled water are quite lax, and corporations are only held to having 1 percent of what is advertised on their bottles actually IN the bottles!), I recommend reading Maude Barlowe's book, "Blue Covenant."

Sent by Jennifer Johnston | 3:09 PM ET | 04-25-2008