Bottled water.

[Wild-Woman]

Just wondered what folks thoughts were on the subject of bottled water.
I do drink it if I'm out and it's convenient but I do wonder whether it's a bit of a fantasy to think that it is any better than tap water-which I also drink gallons of.
It does concern me about the amount of plastic we use through using bottled water- or any other soft drink come to think of it.
I also wonder when the 'trend' to drink bottled water started. I can't remember when it all really kicked off and why?

I can understand the need moreso when abroad and we have no real idea of the cleanliness of water and where it's from, but on the whole, the standards of water in this country are good. Granted, there have been instances of impurities and unexceptable levels of bacteria in some supplies across the land but how do we know that there aren't the same problems with bottled water from time to time.

Your thoughts in a sensible and friendly discussion please.

[lol geoff]

I think the fashion started in the eighties along with yuppies, nuevelle cuisine and the need for refreshments for the runners that took part all the marathons and fun runs that started around that time. I prefer to drink tap water but that might be due to my thrifty nature , my wife however only drinks bottled fizzy water at home with a slice of lemon. We allways recycle the plastic but it still seems to be a waste of valuable resources, making and disposing of all those millions bottles.

[gfilmsuk]

It seems that everywhere you go these days there are people running around clutching bottles of water or cardboard cups of coffee as though their lives depended on it. Everyone seems to be obsessed with 'must have a drink in my hand at all times'.
I have a water filter and replenish my plastic bottle from it whenever I want.
I must be a minority as I can go several hours without a drink.

[badgerwatcher]

It goes with the designer tracksuit, doesn't it?
I wear old track suit trousers and an old T shirt to the gym and refill my plastic bottle from my water filter, but then I'm not trendy or 'on the pull'.

[kml]

This has been a hot topic in our area as someone obtained the Councils expenses list.It was surprising just how much was spent on bottled water.I can`t remember how much off the top of my head but I know it was a huge lot.

[Gill Catton]

this is a personal annoying thing for me.....

Personaly I resent spending money on something I can get at home for a fraction of the price which is just as good for me. - Id rather pay for someone in a country where drinking the available water means they might die to be able to have clean water. Whenever I hear someone complain about the taste of tapwater I understand what they are saying but still my brain switches to the images in my head brought back from Madagascar of families forced to drink from the same streams they wash in and that their sewage ends up in. We're so lucky and yet still complain and switch to something that is ultimately more harmful to the world because we percieve that it tastes better. - but then undoubtedly here I'm being hypocritical because I'm sure there are things I do because I prefer it, even though ultimately its more harmful - like eating KFC (oh how I wish you could buy free range kfc then I'd only have calorie related guilt) or driving distances I could walk.

Also this is spring water that would otherwise be going into streams and rivers and ponds and lakes and things so presumbly the spring water industry results in less habitat for wildlife? And has this loss been compensated for? Do the water companies create areas of better wetland to compensate?

And then yes the plastic bottles, even if people bother to avoid chucking them into the bin they are shipped to China for recycling I believe - . My fella refuses to stop drinking bottled water 'because its what he's always done' and he doesn't want me telling him what to do its frustrating but at least I can get him to recycle the bottles!

I hope its not long before we get better plastic recycling facilities in this country. I remember reading that although we can recycle plastic into things like fleece materials - making new bottles etc is beyond our national capabilities which seems very odd to me but there you go, being nationally self-unsufficent seems to be an international pastime!!!

sorry rant over

[tufftie]

Well all i can really do is echo Gill's comments though I do have filtered water where i am at the moment because it always reeks of chlorine and tastes really rank!!! Seems to taste and smell okay where i'm going though, so wont need to waste anymore money on filters Not to mention the plastic involved with them

[nightshade]

We have had a real problem with bottled water on our trips up and down the motorways,namely stupid people drinking it while driving!

[Kayleigh]

I buy bottled water then after fill it with tap water and keep it in the fridge. Tap water taste better. I get to reuse the bottle.

[demicav]

We drink a lot of water in this house, mostly tap water but I do occasionally buy bottled for various reasons. I don't think tap water tastes much different really. some people may drink a lot of bottled water as it's seen to be a symbol of a healthy lifestyle. My children take tap water to school every day and it does the job. If I buy bottled I tend to refill with tap water as Kayleigh said.

[Bwrack]

We go with Kayleight on this ...cold tappo is just fine..but...we also like fizzy water very much..and its easier to get children to drink it this way...how do you
get this without buying from the shop ?

[Goosegogs]

Tapwater is regulated (I don't think bottled waters are?). Tapwater occasionally has problems - there was Cryptosporidium in the local reservoir a couple of years back. Then, there were problems last year from the floods when tapwater supply was turned off...
One of the bottled water companies has a campaign at the moment - if you buy 1L of their water, they provide 10L to those in Africa?
OH likes the flavoured bottled waters. The bottles get re-used, or converted into useful things like mini-propagators, anti-slug measures,... although this can be taken too far (someone has built a greenhouse glazing with 2-litre pop-bottles!).

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by Bwrack

We go with Kayleight on this ...cold tappo is just fine..but...we also like fizzy water very much..and its easier to get children to drink it this way...how do you
get this without buying from the shop ?

Probably need a soda stream thingy...........

SodaStream

Tap water for me, and lot's of it.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Probably need a soda stream thingy...........

SodaStream

Tap water for me, and lot's of it.

Wow, I didn't know they still did those.

[ghough12]

Interesting thought? - all those evian plastic bottles recycled in France become the raw ingredient to make Thermolactyl Fibres as used in Damart brand thermal underwear. Its an 85% chlorofibre/ 15% acrylic fibre and has one of the highest warmth degree factors of man-made fibres and best wicking effect to pull perspiration away from the body. So drink and recycle and help someone keep warm!

Graham

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Probably need a soda stream thingy...........

SodaStream

Tap water for me, and lot's of it.

And of course the Sodastream will subdue spiders for phoo shots.

[agrumpycow]

I've often wondered how bottled water has a 'use/best before' date yet tap water doesn't Am I missing something obvious?

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

And of course the Sodastream will subdue spiders for phoo shots.

And of course the Sodastream will subdue spiders for photo shots as well. Wasn't my tea time.

[Countrymum]

I'm definitely trying to cut out bottled water. We have a filter jug that sits in the fridge, and I just top up a bottle from that. I think any water from the tap tastes better when its been chilled anyway (slice of lemon optional) and has to be better than transporting water and plastic around the world.

And if I do need water on the move, I try to buy British water, rather than something thats come from Fiji or somewhere equally ridiculous. I don't care if its from virgin springs on the side of a volcano, it can't be good for the planet to ship it to Leicesteshire! It makes me fume, most people won't be able to taste the difference between that and tap water anyway.

And don't even get me started on the water company who had a water menu, recommending which of their waters should go with which wine. Why dilute a good wine anyway??

And (now I'm on a roll) I hate snooty restaurants who make you feel bad about asking for just a jug of water.

Going for a glass of water now to cool down!

[outdoorguy]

i take my trusty sigg water bottle out wherever i go filled up with tap water.. i'm a window cleaner so am out all day and this usually lasts me ok.. i will buy bottled water if i run out n the summer but i will usually fill it from someones outdoor tap.. there is absolutely no need to drink bottled water instead of tap water in this country.. when ur out thats fine but at home its just stupid.. these people must be very fussy not to like tap water.. and as someone mentioned earlier get a filter and put a jug full in the fridge.. tastes great.. bottles make so much waste.. james

[sheiladrums]

The only reason that I might (once in a blue moon) buy a bottle of water when out is because my own (an old fizzy drinks bottle filled with tap water) has run out. I get a dry mouth problem and need to drink a sip fairly frequently, so always have a bottle "on the go". I am very unhappy with the amount of bottled water sold in this country: people in Africa (mostly women)who have to walk miles to a dirty well and carry a bucketful of water back on their heads would just love to have a tap carrying clean water into their homes, and would laugh themselves silly to see my friend pulling her trolley home from the shops complaining coz it's heavy with plastic bottles of water. She doesn't need to do it, they do. If you're worried about the plastic ("only recyclable where facilities exist" - and that's practically nowhere), buy glass bottles, but then that's much heavier and so costs even more petrol to transport than the plastic bottles, etc etc - sorry, are we mad??? We shouldn't even be having this conversation - drink tap water!!

[ChasCreek]

I used to be guilty of consuming a lot of bottled water, but now I am back to good old tap water.

I think the fascination with bottled watter was a Victorian thing when Dr Perrier started bottling water to be marketed as a wine would be. In the late 1800s Perrier started to extole the virtues of spring water for it's health giving properties.

John Harmsworth a Dubliner by birth went over to France and bought the Perrier owned Spa and moved the attention away from water as a tonic if you want to just marketing it as table water. He started by marketing it to the forces of the British empire. Interesting in a way that a brand we think of being so French was actually more of a UK invention!

I think studies have shown that the constituents of bottled water are often no better than UK tap water and in some cases they are less desirable!

[gfilmsuk]

Thought I'd Google water and came across this Doctor in America who doesn't go much on bottled water.

Do You Really Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day? - Articles

[hank]

Put some tap water in the fridge to chill it, and you wont tell the difference - you may even like it better!
I think it's all in the mind.
Be like me and look at the price of bottled water and you'll always choose tap water !!

[Blackdog]

Just remember;

EVIAN is NAIVE spelled in reverse...