[Naturefreak]

I've been drinking bottled water for years now and was wondering what you think of bottled versus tapped water.
Our provincial government announced a ban on all bottled water in government owned buildings and schools and hospitals could be next. They say there is way too much plastic going into our landfill sites and that our municipal water supplies are perfectly safe to drink.

What do you think?

[HereIamBp]

I'm also concerned about the landfill situation. I try to bring water from home. The few times when I do buy bottle water it's just for the convenience. Concerning water piped through office buildings, I'm sure the tap water is fine but I don't trust the century old deteriorating piping that the tap water flows through.

[Amazonmom]

While most tapped water in my area is safe to drink, it tastes like dirt. There is a high algae concentration in the water that causes the taste and I will not drink it unless it has at least been filtered. When I lived in DC nobody in the neighborhood I lived in drank tap water or even brushed teeth with it, there was so much iron in it it ran red for several minutes when you turned the water on. Then it was discovered that many of the old mains in the area had lead in them, and the water that was supposedly safe had toxic concentrations of lead.

I will continue to use my filter at home and use my BPA free bottle for it. That way I won't pay more for water than I do for gas. (my favorite bottled water costs more per gallon)

[rainbow74]

In the UK the tap water perfectly good. The only time i will buy bottled water is when i'm out, then i sometimes keep the bottle to reuse it with tap water.

[lynn P.]

I feel our water is fine but we have a filter on our fridge and we get the water from there. We also have an under the sink reverse osmosis system but it needs new filters and been procrastinating about getting them. It's scary to think about how many of these bottles go to landfill worldwide. Scientists now know that deep in the sea, the water is slimey and samples show a thick slurry of degrading plastic. We're destroying the earth. For my girls at school I bought them stainless steel water containers and I fill it up in the morning.

When you think of it, you're drinking stale water and some believe the plastic can leach into the water. Also there aren't strong regulations on those water plants and I ask - do you really know where this water comes from and how clean it really is?? There was even one company who was discovered as pumping city water to fill the bottles and passing it off as 'spring water'. I'm glad they're banning it here in Canada and banning plastic bags unless you buy them.

[Naturefreak]

Some good points Lynn. How do we know where the bottled water comes from?I find the tap water doesn't taste as fresh as the bottled, but maybe because it's not as cold.

[Sabrina]

Bottled water is too expensive here. So we make do with tap water. But I find bottled water tastes quite metallic anyway.

Sometimes my office mates were annoyed if I tapped my bottled water.

[Stranger2]

I use to work for a water filtration company selling filters..My sister had one of those big water bottle machines in her house.. So I tested her tap water and the water from the water cooler..The tap water was way cleaner than the water cooler..We keeep a stash of bottled water for emergencies only..

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Sometimes my office mates were annoyed if I tapped my bottled water.

[(JD)]

South Florida water has fluoride and chlorine in it. Plus, there are documentaries about all the medications flushed down the toilet and sink and how the filters (across the nation, not just in FL) can't take it all out.

I don't need the fluoride (which may cause other problems) and I'm a bit allergic to chlorine, and highly allergic to medications (even have issues with hormones and antibiotics in meat products). I don't trust the bottled water to be "really pure" (some are just tap water from some other city) and I have issues about things in plastic (as I'm also allergic to petroleum based products) ... so I use a filter. Even the dog prefers that water!
[wow I am high maintenance aren't I ? )

Bottled water is just so expensive! I mean, the world takes the cheapest thing we have, and makes it profitable.

[englishteacher]

Floride is actually not good for you! It's a poison. I do drink tap water, but I don't trust the powers that be to make sure it's really healthy. But, what is healthy or good for you in today's world?

[la doctora]

I drink tap water that has been filtered. We have a pur filter that fits right on the faucet. Easy. We have some bottles of water to use for picnics and such, but we try to reuse the bottle by filling them up with filtered tap water. I have a stainless steel canteen to put water in for work every day. I really like it. It is great to save money that would have bought bottled water. And I love that I don't have to throw away as much plastic. Also, I am concerned about the chemicals from the plastic that can be released into the water if the bottle gets heated up. Never drink from a plastic bottle that has gotten warm. You never know what chemical you are drinking.

After saying all that, I agree with englishteacher. Everything is bad for us these days. And everything causes cancer. I think we are a little spoiled and worry too much about things like the "taste" of our water.

[AtreyuFreak]

I drink filtered tap water. Don't trust old pipes, so filtering them gets rust, dirt, and whatever else out. I've heard a couple stories on the news of people getting really sick with cancer and even dying because their well that they got tap water from had been contaminated.

I do use a reusable bottle, I carry it EVERYWHERE with me; it's a double plus cause it's environmental, and it gets me to drink more water .

[jbug]

I drink filtered tap water and also bottled water. I try to reuse my bottle though or recycle it. My parents have big bins out in the garage that they recycle their plastic bottles, cans, paper, etc.

We get our water from Beaver Lake and sometimes it has a wierd taste to it so I prefer to filter it. Sometimes I drink it straight from the tap but most of the time I filter it.

Jan

[Sameera]

I drink filtered tap water.

Bottled water comes from municipal sources in the first place (it is tap water put in a bottle), so I don't see the point in paying extra for it.

Put a filter on your tap and drink away. You aren't taking any more risk with that than with bottled. Also earlier this year there was a report on different brands of bottled water. Some brands didn't even pass the standard for normal tap water. I prefer knowing that I am using a good series of filters on my water instead of trusting some company to do it.

[radio_flyer]

Water here tastes awful... So I prefer bottled water. Bought a Brita filter which makes the water taste wondeful.....Maybe sometime in the future we will have the water here tested.

Been using a Brita filter on faucet, and Brita containerss for years--don't trust bottled water (chemicals from plastic containers)--also a waste for landfill--theo

[The_Untitled]

I drink tap water without filtering it, but I don't think there are issues concerning the filter system in our area. Some people boil their water, and while the taste is changed, I think it's as effective as filtering the water.

I don't really like the taste of bottled water unless it's flavored , so I don't drink it that much. However, I think that putting a ban on bottled water is a bad idea, since it's hard to stop using bottled water completely. If they are serious about this ban, they should increase the number of water fountains. Still, some people don't find that very hygienic. I doubt that many students would be willing to respect this ban.

Instead of the ban, they should put more effort into informing people about bottled water and its disadvantages. That way, people will try to cut down on bottled water without being annoyed.

If all that fails, increasing the price drastically might work.

[VickiesPath]

Phoenix water is perfectly safe to drink and perfectly smelly and awful to the taste. So we have a filter on our refrigerator icemaker and water dispenser and an RO system under the sink that filters all of the tap water we cook with. Also, we have a whole house soft water system. So, everything is pretty much covered. If we do carry water, it's in those stainless steel containers that are reusable. Phoenix is big on recycling and hubby's Guinness cans fills that bill.

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by VickiesPath

Phoenix is big on recycling and hubby's Guinness cans fills that bill.

Lol I think you can get a refund on those cans.

[Gabi925]

Some statistics regarding quality of water (other natural resources or artificial pollution too)
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal...s-in-the-world

I don't like plastic bottles but they are practical, especially when you travel or away from home. Freezing or boiling the water might help, but who stays to do it all the time? In a way we have to get used with the tap water.. although my child was very ill from a bacteria taken from it, we went on getting used with it. Of course, if I would know there is a problem with the tap water I would prefer bottled one.

[Shangrala]

Until about a decade, or so ago, here in the Bay Area, Northern California we used to get all our water from the Hetch Hetchy Water Plant (entirely fed by the Colorado/Sacramento River).
Water was becoming short in Southern Ca., so they diverted half our water to that area and compensated that percentage lost with water from the local recycling plants.
Since that change, I have noticed that things, such as wash cloths, kitchen sponges, etc "sour" when using the water. I've since had to change the (clean) kitchen wash cloths I use every other day because even when rinsed thoroughly after every use and hung to dry, they still smell like...eww, even in a couple day's time. Even worse for any kitchen sponges (even the new ones), used for washing dishes by hand, or simple counter wipe up. I have to wash and bleach those to kill the odor. It leaves that sour smell on my hands afterward...even after all the cleanup...gross. (Sometimes, same applies to how the laundry smells after a wash. I have to then rewash to kill the odor).

It was only recently that I noticed another difference in our water here. During this last weather chill spell we had (furnace had gone out..needed repair), so to kill the morning chill I boiled a large pot of water on the stove top for a bit of warm humidity. I noticed in the pot (stainless steel) had a floating, foaming muck to the surface of it...Ewww. At first notice, I wondered if perhaps there was a film of dish soap left inside the pot, which would explain the foaming film. So, I emptied pot, washed and rinsed WELL, refilled and set to boil again. Same results.

I don't trust the tap water in our area. It doesn't exactly taste bad, but from the lingering smell and the film it leaves, it doesn't exactly sit well with me drinking it, (even if we boiled it, though I know boiling sterilizes).

We drink through the filtered water on the fridge. And we keep the filters changed regularly, as I understand that drinking water through a filter system with a old filter can be even worse than drinking the bad water directly. Hard to say.

As far as bottled water. Sometimes we buy a bottle, or few, though not that often. Also, regarding the reuse of those plastic bottles, I understand that some, if not most, are not intended to be reused.
They have the recycle stamp on the underside of them (the triangle with arrow on end and a number in its center). The number indicates how many times it is intended to be used. If there is a "1" in the center, then it is intended to be used that one time, then disposed of for recycling. (Whatever number is inside of that triangle is the amount of times that quality of plastic can be reused). Apparently, if it is used more than the number indicated then the plastic can release some minute amount of toxic into the refilled water.
It is also advised to not leave bottled water in direct sunlight, or inside the car especially when hot out and the plastic can heat up.

Fact or Myth: You can pretty much tell the quality of the water in your home by how clear your ice cubes freeze.
(Makes me wonder..how many of us are going to pay attention to the clarity of our cubes now.....lmao).

Shangrala

[ECHOES]

Good for your government for being concerned about the plastic!

I happen to prefer tap water, no ice. But I am glad that I don't contribute to the plastic piling up.

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by Shangrala

Until about a decade, or so ago, here in the Bay Area, Northern California we used to get all our water from the Hetch Hetchy Water Plant (entirely fed by the Colorado/Sacramento River).
Water was becoming short in Southern Ca., so they diverted half our water to that area and compensated that percentage lost with water from the local recycling plants.
Since that change, I have noticed that things, such as wash cloths, kitchen sponges, etc "sour" when using the water. I've since had to change the (clean) kitchen wash cloths I use every other day because even when rinsed thoroughly after every use and hung to dry, they still smell like...eww, even in a couple day's time. Even worse for any kitchen sponges (even the new ones), used for washing dishes by hand, or simple counter wipe up. I have to wash and bleach those to kill the odor. It leaves that sour smell on my hands afterward...even after all the cleanup...gross. (Sometimes, same applies to how the laundry smells after a wash. I have to then rewash to kill the odor).

It was only recently that I noticed another difference in our water here. During this last weather chill spell we had (furnace had gone out..needed repair), so to kill the morning chill I boiled a large pot of water on the stove top for a bit of warm humidity. I noticed in the pot (stainless steel) had a floating, foaming muck to the surface of it...Ewww. At first notice, I wondered if perhaps there was a film of dish soap left inside the pot, which would explain the foaming film. So, I emptied pot, washed and rinsed WELL, refilled and set to boil again. Same results.

I don't trust the tap water in our area. It doesn't exactly taste bad, but from the lingering smell and the film it leaves, it doesn't exactly sit well with me drinking it, (even if we boiled it, though I know boiling sterilizes).

We drink through the filtered water on the fridge. And we keep the filters changed regularly, as I understand that drinking water through a filter system with a old filter can be even worse than drinking the bad water directly. Hard to say.

As far as bottled water. Sometimes we buy a bottle, or few, though not that often. Also, regarding the reuse of those plastic bottles, I understand that some, if not most, are not intended to be reused.
They have the recycle stamp on the underside of them (the triangle with arrow on end and a number in its center). The number indicates how many times it is intended to be used. If there is a "1" in the center, then it is intended to be used that one time, then disposed of for recycling. (Whatever number is inside of that triangle is the amount of times that quality of plastic can be reused). Apparently, if it is used more than the number indicated then the plastic can release some minute amount of toxic into the refilled water.
It is also advised to not leave bottled water in direct sunlight, or inside the car especially when hot out and the plastic can heat up.

Fact or Myth: You can pretty much tell the quality of the water in your home by how clear your ice cubes freeze.
(Makes me wonder..how many of us are going to pay attention to the clarity of our cubes now.....lmao).

Shangrala

Thanks Mary, very interesting post.