Bottled water banned in Australian suburb on clarkhoward.com

How would you like to save more, spend less and getting ripped off…by ditching bottled water?

Bottled water costs around $1,400/year and represents an environmental hazard when you consider its packaging and transportation.

Now Bundanoon, Australia -- a suburb of Sydney -- has banned bottled water and created a nightmare for the industry. This is the first city in the world to stop the sale of bottled water.

Consider this: Tap water costs less than a penny per gallon and gives you access to clean, safe municipal drinking water. And here's a bulletin for bottled water drinkers: Companies like Coke (Dasani) and Pepsi (Aquafina) source their products from municipal water supplies -- just like tap water!

In addition, bottled water is only checked for safety about 12 times a year, while tap water is tested throughout the day.

Still uncomfortable drinking straight from the tap? Run your water through a filtered pitcher to remove impurities. Executive producer Christa, meanwhile, is investigating a $120 reverse osmosis filter for her home that attaches under the sink.

Remember, if bottled water is awful enough to be banned in Bundanoon, you should think about banning it in your life too!

What others are saying

flouride
I filter my water at home and take it to work in glass jars. It is hard to find a filter that can filter the flouride and the chlorimines. It makes me so mad that anyone would put that s*** into my drinking water. How much flouride to I consume in a day anyway through any other beverages I might purchase.
By luvinjah @ 08/23/09 11:55:44 PMreport abuse
Reverse Osmosis
Actually, reverse osmosis is a pretty effective way to get a lot of dissolved impurities out of water; more so than charcoal, at least on a cost basis. I'm in the Navy, and on our newer ships, reverse osmosis is the only method that we use to turn seawater into drinking water. The process works pretty well, and it's more than just a filter. Dissolved impurities cannot pass through the membrane. No other filter can claim to remove dissolved impurities. Other options to remove such impurities include charcoal and ion exchange resins, but those are just too expensive, and not thorough enough, to get all the impurities out that reverse osmosis can.
By hmmm @ 07/29/09 03:45:17 PMreport abuse
Filters
I see a lot of comments about filters.

First about the chlorine comments. Chlorine is also in bottled water, in fact bottled water is USUALLY from a municipal water source. About your filter, unless you've got a very high end filter, something in the $1,000 plus price range, you aren't filtering out any of it. Filter paper and activated charcoal won't take out chlorine. But, not to worry, it's not POISON as you stated and hasn't been found to be cumulative or detrimental to the elderly--could it really be that humans just start to show some age around 90 or so? You're right about one thing, the government isn't afraid of it being in there . . . in fact they mandate it to be in there because it ensures you are getting safe drinking water!!!

Reverse osmosis hype. Don't get too excited about it, it's just a catch phrase. Let me explain, here's what osmosis means: the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. That just means that there's a membrane that liquid can freely pass through. Reverse osmosis means there's a membrane that the liquid wouldn't freely pass through on it's own, so it's pumped through it. Ummm, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that how ALL filtration works? The charcoal does far more than any reverse osmosis.
By Ummm @ 07/29/09 11:11:40 AMreport abuse
Electrolites, finally? Really?
It's what plants crave!

Wow, welcome to our future.
By Gabe @ 07/29/09 11:00:09 AMreport abuse
Bottled Water Has Been Around A Long Time.
And now I see they are putting electrolites into it!

It is about time!
By Louisiana is Lousy @ 07/28/09 06:24:28 PMreport abuse
Bottled Water
The next time I see a Congressional hearing I would like to see glasses of tap water on the table instead of wasteful bottled water. Do you have any idea how much the U. S. Government spends each year, worldwide, to provide bottled water? I bet it is a staggering amount.
By Mary Rives Brown @ 07/28/09 08:01:24 AMreport abuse
Bottled Water
I bottle my own water. It starts it's journey from a lake 30 miles away, goes to a city water system, a second city system, then to our rural water company, 2,000 feet of my pipe to an 1,100 gallon tank and finally to my house.

For bottling, I half fill some bottles and freeze them. When I need one, I fill it from the tap and enjoy.

We pay about $9.00/1,000 gallons plus $17.50/month for the meter. Our monthly use varies from 600 gallons in winter to 2,200 gallons in summer, mostly for our vegetable garden.

I would not want to waste money on bottled water. Our current water is expensive enough.
By Gene @ 07/28/09 02:30:44 AMreport abuse
Bottled Water
Only one or two people has made the same point about tap water, that's actually true. IT'S POISON, it has chlorine in it so it's a cumulative poison. Ever wonder why so many elderly people have so many health problems. It could be because they have always drunk city water with the chlorine and god only knows what else they put into it. Do a Google search. I don't buy a lot of bottled water, I run my water at home thru a faucet type filter. It's rated to take everything that's in the water out. And there's plenty of small travel filter's on the market that you can take anywhere with you, you just need a bottle to put the water in.It seems like most of the people that have responded to this has missed the point. So what if the government test the water, do you really think any of them care what's in the city water?? The bureaucrat sure don't or they wouldn't use chlorine in the stuff.
By Gordon Gaines @ 07/27/09 07:41:00 PMreport abuse
Water purity
We drink water filtered from in front of a super market. We use tap water for other uses. I made the acid test by testing tap water and my 25-cent per gallon water. When making green tea with 25-cent water, the tea is green! When making the green tea with tap water, it has an orangey look to it. So much for your tap water theory.
By Dick Dennis @ 07/27/09 07:25:21 PMreport abuse
Here's what I know
While I do agree that bottled water can be a needless expense here in the U.S., I've been travling to Mexico for the past 20 years. Before bottled water was common, I only drank beverages with ice if the restaurant used a reverse osmosis filter - and yet, I got sick every single trip - I just considered it something I had to live with if I wanted to go to Mexico. In the past 5 years or so, bottled water has become the norm, and I haven't gotten sick one single time. Bottled water definitely has its place in the world. Even here - I went to NYC a couple years ago and stayed in a very old hotel - the tap water in NYC may be great, but those old pipes made it smell and taste like raw sewage. My first trip out of the room was to a grocery store to get bottled water.
By Suzanne @ 07/27/09 05:37:28 PMreport abuse
Well water
We had a water company go door to door offering free testing for well water. He asked my son to get him a glass of tap water for his test, and he would show us lead, mercury, etc... in our water. He ran the test and everything was clear. He thought we played a joke on him and gave him bottled water. We told him we didn't and he said ok, let me get the water for myself. He ran the test again, and said he could'nt find anything impure in our water. We are tapped into an artisian well where the water temperature is 72 degrees. BTW, because of conveinence, we still buy bottled water to take to the gym etc...
By Don @ 07/27/09 03:46:53 PMreport abuse
Clean Water
Reverse osmosis systems are the way to go. Yes they cost ~$130 initially (which typally includes the filters), then about $30/year for filters. Our four kids play a lot of soccer and other sports, and most of the time we fill their sport bottles from the RO tap. I agree that buying only bottled water is a waste of money and resources.
By Ken @ 07/27/09 12:41:58 PMreport abuse
Using Bottled Water
Admittedly I do use Bottled Water. The reason - Connivance, I normally buy a case of Costco Water once every quarter year or so. I will drink the water and re-use the bottle with tap water, (Mine is filtered by my refrigerator). I toss the bottle only after it has been used multiple times and only because I took it with me in the car or on a trip where I dispose of the Bottle when empty. Now that the "New" thinner bottles are out I tend to be even more conservative in saving my "old" thick plastic bottles. The only other reason is that when I have a guest that wants water I can give them a Unopened bottle to take with them. Reused bottles don't "normally" get washed in my house. Oh and the guy who talked about impurities from the plastic. Check Snopes.com, That was an old wives tale from years ago.
By BT Lewis @ 07/27/09 12:37:45 PMreport abuse
Bottled Water Debate
Couple points:
1 - If the product is 100% legal, then I don't think it's right in this economy to basically put many markets out of business. What about the guy that services the truck who delivers the water to buildings?

2 - While it's fine that all these public water places put the chemicals in AT THE PLANT - has anyone ever looked at the pipes when they burst in the street?

3 - Speaking for myself, I travel quite a bit - and I appreciate getting water from a known manufacturer then trusting the hotel or drinking fountain to be 100% free of germs. I have had times in the past where I have had stomach problems drinking "local water". So now I buy a larger pack when traveling, or I will refill my own BPA FREE bottle from the fitness room water cooler.

4 - I gave up drinking everything BUT water 2 years ago. It is a LARGE problem when traveling as I do to trust local supplies. That I stick to name brands

NOW - if you want to talk about RECYCLING - how with all the travel I do - VERY FEW places have dedicated recycle areas for their bottles!!!!!!
By Frank M @ 07/27/09 12:36:04 PMreport abuse
Bottled water
Plastic as opposed to glass and stainless steel in its cleanest state is already contaminated, what to speak of the cheapest, thinnest plastic used for bottled water. When exposed to high temperature (when stored and being transported) and/or to very cold temperatures (when freezing) plastic releases harmful chemicals to the water. By drinking bottled water not only we are drinking filtered tap water but contaminated water. What to speak of the high price we are paying for.
I carry a stainless steel canteen with filtered tap water.
Ed
By Ed Caicedo @ 07/26/09 12:44:10 PMreport abuse
Never Understood Bottled Water Fad
Those reverse osmosis filters work great, my parents have one and it was less than $150. Thankfully, I'm out in the woods in Cheeseland and I have well water Evian would kill for. lol
By Chris @ 07/24/09 12:09:15 AMreport abuse
Drinking Tap Water
I completely agree the environmental effects of using bottled water are disgraceful. But to say tap water is completely safe is simply not true.
The fact is, disinfection byproducts (Trihalomethanes) are carcinogenic. Furthermore, you absorb more of them breathing in the shower and sitting in them in the bath than you do drinking them. Since when is cancer a money saver?
In addition, large cities are now using Chloramine for disinfection (chlorine plus 20% ammonia!) Chloramine corrodes gaskets in toilets and appliances. It even turns stainless steel gray and eventually pits and corrodes it. If it will do that to stainless steel, what is it doing to you? And how is destroying your plumbing and appliances saving you money?
The only real solution is a whole house filter that can remove chloramine and Volatile organic compounds. And I didn't even get into Fluoride!
By Donna Hoffman @ 07/23/09 05:03:38 PMreport abuse
Tap Water in the US is the Safest in the World
I work in the Water Industry. The AP report referenced by drew below is just a good example of sensationalism used to generate ratings. As far as pharm. and other things being DETECTED in drinking water sources, you have to remember a few things. First that technology has increased to the point were we can detect compounds at extremely small levels (levels that are orders of magnitude lower than what people voluntarily expose themselves to through other sources). In fact these chemicals that are now being "discovered" may have always been there. For a good rebuttal to the AP hit piece, check out: http://www.drinktap.org/

In response to the statement below by J Greene that "tap water is full of chemicals": With the exception of distilled water ALL water is full of things other than water (minerals, salts, etc.). This is actually a good thing. First, distilled water tastes like CRAP, second, the other things in the water tend to make the water less agressive.

The idea that tap water is "full of chemicals" is misleading at best and a flat out lie at worst. The traditional surface water treatment plant adds Aluminum Sulfate which makes the dirt in the water "sticky" - so it gets heavy and settles out. All the Alum added is gone by the time the water is filtered. Sometimes activated carbon (the same compound in your home filter) or potassium permanganate is used prior to this step to remove unpleasant tastes and odors. Both chemicals are removed by the physical treatment steps - sedimentation and filtration. There are three or four chemicals added that actually stay in the water and you should be thankful they are there. First is chlorine - the single largest public health advancement in the world is the addition of chlorine to drinking water. Chlorine in drinking water has prevented far more deaths than any other advancement including antibiotics (if you don't get sick in the first place, you don't need the drugs). If you don't believe me, go to Africa or rural India and drink the water yourself - let me know how that works out (if you survive). Next is fluoride (to prevent tooth decay). Lime is added to adjust the pH and sometimes a corrosion inhibitor is added (both prevent corrosion of you piping and leaching of lead and copper out of your plumbing fixtures and into you). Remember - all brass (regardless of the lead free designation) contains some lead.

Most of the people at your local water treatment plant actually consider themselves to be in the public health industry and they desire to deliver high quality and safe water. Ask for a tour of your local plant sometime and take a look at what it takes to deliver the water to your tap. I think you will have a new respect for what is involved and just how safe your water is!
By MikeR @ 07/23/09 04:42:35 PMreport abuse
Bottled Water
I agree with the OP. I'd rather drink city water. I read the ingredients label on my wife's bottled water. It says it contains the Denver water supply. I live in Nebraska. Why do I want to carry around drinking water from Denver? If my own water at home is not fit to drink, I would walk off and leave my house vacant for the government to foreclose on rather than live sitting on top of water I cannot drink for whatever reason!
By hereticzero @ 07/23/09 01:33:47 PMreport abuse
Bottled vs Tap
Typo correction: it's 40 gallons of waste for 5 gallons of treated water, not one gallon.
By Bob @ 07/23/09 01:24:32 PMreport abuse
Bottled vs Tap
Tap is fine. Municipal water systems comply with EPA standards and is tested several times every day. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA. It is generally fine, but expensive even when bought by the gallon. The largest selling bottled water brands are just filtered water from a municipal system. There has been much discussion on Clark's show about filter systems and reverse osmosis (RO) systems in particular. Home RO systems are extremely inefficient. Typically, for every gallon of water produced for drinking, 40 or more gallons are processed as waste and sent down the drain. Home RO systems do not operate at high enough pressure to operate efficiently. Even high pressure commercial systems lose half the water processed as waste. That's just the way RO systems work.
By Bob @ 07/23/09 01:19:55 PMreport abuse
EPA vs. FDA
Upon further investigation, it seems the EPA is in charge of ensuring tap water is safe. By all reports, their requirments are tougher than the FDA's requirements on bottled water. If bottled water is no better than tap water, isn't this a case of the FDA once again not doing it's job?
By drew @ 07/23/09 12:10:42 PMreport abuse
Bottled Water
Well Howard, my well water is not fit to drink! Many citizens get their water from a well. I've seen well water run through filters and the tiles in the bathroom turn orange and the owners have a difficult time trying to keep them looking good. Bottled water is the way to go for many of us who cannot connect to city water. I use bottled water and know that it is expensive but I'd rather drink that than the "green" water that comes from my well. And yes I do maintain the well.
Mark
By Mark Hillyard @ 07/23/09 11:26:31 AMreport abuse
pharmaceuticals found in drinking water
From the AP:
"A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows."

Clark already acknowledges that the FDA is a shill for corporations, so why should I trust them to keep my tap water clean.

I agree that filters are the way to go, but bottled water is sometimes the only alternative to tap water.
By drew @ 07/23/09 10:53:12 AMreport abuse
You keep saying the same thing...
You always point out the same thing, that bottled water is expensive, that tap water is cheap, that bottled water is basically the same as tap water, and that tap water is safe. You make it seem like there is absolutely no difference between tap water. This is not true.

First, bottled water is expensive when you buy it from a convenience store, where everything is expensive. Why don't you point out the prices of water at Costco, a store you love? It is cheap when you buy it by the gallon.

Second, tap water is cheap, but there are other costs. I will address that later.

Third, not all bottled water is just filtered tap water. Sure, there are a number of brands that are that way, but there are also a number of bottled waters that are pure spring water. You fail to mention them, only mentioning the filtered brands. Please give the spring water companies some fair time too.

Last, tap water is full of chemicals. It is used to get rid of the impurities that are in the city water. Each city varies in their tap water quality, but you can count on them having many chemicals to "clean" the water. Don't you think there are some health issues that come with drinking chemical water? Why don't you mention that?

The only part I can agree with you is the use of a filter. It makes much more sense to use a filter than to buy bottled water. A home filter will eliminate most of the chemicals in tap water, making it safer to drink. Why don't you spend more time focusing on them rather than griping about the companies that offer an alternative to tap water?
By J Greene @ 07/22/09 10:16:31 PMreport abuse
while you are out...
While I dont understand why people would drink bottled water in their home or office where there is a tap handy, I sometimes get some to drink while I am out at a convenience store or something and there is no fountain around and don't feel like getting a drink from the bathroom sink.
By R.L.Evans @ 07/22/09 09:28:11 PMreport abuse
Do the same for Healthcare
This is OUTRAGIOUS that greedy private companies get to profit from areas that the government should control, like drinking water.

Additionally, global warming is on the verge of destroying the world and our precious children, and bottled water is one of the primary culprits (Keith Olberman said).

Bottled water MUST be banned from all countries to save the planet and the animals before its too late. There is NO time to wait.

Hopefully, the couragious Sydney government will do the same with Healthcare and abolish private healthcare to help save the people and bring equality to all.
By Socialist Sam @ 07/22/09 05:02:01 PMreport abuse
coke
no bottled water? i guess i'll have to drink the coca cola.
By yo @ 07/22/09 04:47:28 PMreport abuse

flouride

I filter my water at home and take it to work in glass jars. It is hard to find a filter that can filter the flouride and the chlorimines. It makes me so mad that anyone would put that s*** into my drinking water. How much flouride to I consume in a day anyway through any other beverages I might purchase.

By luvinjah @ 08/23/09 11:55:44 PMreport abuse

Reverse Osmosis

Actually, reverse osmosis is a pretty effective way to get a lot of dissolved impurities out of water; more so than charcoal, at least on a cost basis. I'm in the Navy, and on our newer ships, reverse osmosis is the only method that we use to turn seawater into drinking water. The process works pretty well, and it's more than just a filter. Dissolved impurities cannot pass through the membrane. No other filter can claim to remove dissolved impurities. Other options to remove such impurities include charcoal and ion exchange resins, but those are just too expensive, and not thorough enough, to get all the impurities out that reverse osmosis can.

By hmmm @ 07/29/09 03:45:17 PMreport abuse

Filters

I see a lot of comments about filters.

First about the chlorine comments. Chlorine is also in bottled water, in fact bottled water is USUALLY from a municipal water source. About your filter, unless you've got a very high end filter, something in the $1,000 plus price range, you aren't filtering out any of it. Filter paper and activated charcoal won't take out chlorine. But, not to worry, it's not POISON as you stated and hasn't been found to be cumulative or detrimental to the elderly--could it really be that humans just start to show some age around 90 or so? You're right about one thing, the government isn't afraid of it being in there . . . in fact they mandate it to be in there because it ensures you are getting safe drinking water!!!

Reverse osmosis hype. Don't get too excited about it, it's just a catch phrase. Let me explain, here's what osmosis means: the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions. That just means that there's a membrane that liquid can freely pass through. Reverse osmosis means there's a membrane that the liquid wouldn't freely pass through on it's own, so it's pumped through it. Ummm, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that how ALL filtration works? The charcoal does far more than any reverse osmosis.

By Ummm @ 07/29/09 11:11:40 AMreport abuse

Electrolites, finally? Really?

It's what plants crave!

Wow, welcome to our future.

By Gabe @ 07/29/09 11:00:09 AMreport abuse

Bottled Water Has Been Around A Long Time.

And now I see they are putting electrolites into it!

It is about time!

By Louisiana is Lousy @ 07/28/09 06:24:28 PMreport abuse

Bottled Water

The next time I see a Congressional hearing I would like to see glasses of tap water on the table instead of wasteful bottled water. Do you have any idea how much the U. S. Government spends each year, worldwide, to provide bottled water? I bet it is a staggering amount.

By Mary Rives Brown @ 07/28/09 08:01:24 AMreport abuse

I bottle my own water. It starts it's journey from a lake 30 miles away, goes to a city water system, a second city system, then to our rural water company, 2,000 feet of my pipe to an 1,100 gallon tank and finally to my house.

For bottling, I half fill some bottles and freeze them. When I need one, I fill it from the tap and enjoy.

We pay about $9.00/1,000 gallons plus $17.50/month for the meter. Our monthly use varies from 600 gallons in winter to 2,200 gallons in summer, mostly for our vegetable garden.

I would not want to waste money on bottled water. Our current water is expensive enough.

By Gene @ 07/28/09 02:30:44 AMreport abuse

Only one or two people has made the same point about tap water, that's actually true. IT'S POISON, it has chlorine in it so it's a cumulative poison. Ever wonder why so many elderly people have so many health problems. It could be because they have always drunk city water with the chlorine and god only knows what else they put into it. Do a Google search. I don't buy a lot of bottled water, I run my water at home thru a faucet type filter. It's rated to take everything that's in the water out. And there's plenty of small travel filter's on the market that you can take anywhere with you, you just need a bottle to put the water in.It seems like most of the people that have responded to this has missed the point. So what if the government test the water, do you really think any of them care what's in the city water?? The bureaucrat sure don't or they wouldn't use chlorine in the stuff.

By Gordon Gaines @ 07/27/09 07:41:00 PMreport abuse

Water purity

We drink water filtered from in front of a super market. We use tap water for other uses. I made the acid test by testing tap water and my 25-cent per gallon water. When making green tea with 25-cent water, the tea is green! When making the green tea with tap water, it has an orangey look to it. So much for your tap water theory.

By Dick Dennis @ 07/27/09 07:25:21 PMreport abuse

Here's what I know

While I do agree that bottled water can be a needless expense here in the U.S., I've been travling to Mexico for the past 20 years. Before bottled water was common, I only drank beverages with ice if the restaurant used a reverse osmosis filter - and yet, I got sick every single trip - I just considered it something I had to live with if I wanted to go to Mexico. In the past 5 years or so, bottled water has become the norm, and I haven't gotten sick one single time. Bottled water definitely has its place in the world. Even here - I went to NYC a couple years ago and stayed in a very old hotel - the tap water in NYC may be great, but those old pipes made it smell and taste like raw sewage. My first trip out of the room was to a grocery store to get bottled water.

By Suzanne @ 07/27/09 05:37:28 PMreport abuse

Well water

We had a water company go door to door offering free testing for well water. He asked my son to get him a glass of tap water for his test, and he would show us lead, mercury, etc... in our water. He ran the test and everything was clear. He thought we played a joke on him and gave him bottled water. We told him we didn't and he said ok, let me get the water for myself. He ran the test again, and said he could'nt find anything impure in our water. We are tapped into an artisian well where the water temperature is 72 degrees. BTW, because of conveinence, we still buy bottled water to take to the gym etc...

By Don @ 07/27/09 03:46:53 PMreport abuse

Clean Water

Reverse osmosis systems are the way to go. Yes they cost ~$130 initially (which typally includes the filters), then about $30/year for filters. Our four kids play a lot of soccer and other sports, and most of the time we fill their sport bottles from the RO tap. I agree that buying only bottled water is a waste of money and resources.

By Ken @ 07/27/09 12:41:58 PMreport abuse

Using Bottled Water

Admittedly I do use Bottled Water. The reason - Connivance, I normally buy a case of Costco Water once every quarter year or so. I will drink the water and re-use the bottle with tap water, (Mine is filtered by my refrigerator). I toss the bottle only after it has been used multiple times and only because I took it with me in the car or on a trip where I dispose of the Bottle when empty. Now that the "New" thinner bottles are out I tend to be even more conservative in saving my "old" thick plastic bottles. The only other reason is that when I have a guest that wants water I can give them a Unopened bottle to take with them. Reused bottles don't "normally" get washed in my house. Oh and the guy who talked about impurities from the plastic. Check Snopes.com, That was an old wives tale from years ago.

By BT Lewis @ 07/27/09 12:37:45 PMreport abuse

Bottled Water Debate

Couple points:
1 - If the product is 100% legal, then I don't think it's right in this economy to basically put many markets out of business. What about the guy that services the truck who delivers the water to buildings?

2 - While it's fine that all these public water places put the chemicals in AT THE PLANT - has anyone ever looked at the pipes when they burst in the street?

3 - Speaking for myself, I travel quite a bit - and I appreciate getting water from a known manufacturer then trusting the hotel or drinking fountain to be 100% free of germs. I have had times in the past where I have had stomach problems drinking "local water". So now I buy a larger pack when traveling, or I will refill my own BPA FREE bottle from the fitness room water cooler.

4 - I gave up drinking everything BUT water 2 years ago. It is a LARGE problem when traveling as I do to trust local supplies. That I stick to name brands

NOW - if you want to talk about RECYCLING - how with all the travel I do - VERY FEW places have dedicated recycle areas for their bottles!!!!!!

By Frank M @ 07/27/09 12:36:04 PMreport abuse

Bottled water

Plastic as opposed to glass and stainless steel in its cleanest state is already contaminated, what to speak of the cheapest, thinnest plastic used for bottled water. When exposed to high temperature (when stored and being transported) and/or to very cold temperatures (when freezing) plastic releases harmful chemicals to the water. By drinking bottled water not only we are drinking filtered tap water but contaminated water. What to speak of the high price we are paying for.
I carry a stainless steel canteen with filtered tap water.
Ed

By Ed Caicedo @ 07/26/09 12:44:10 PMreport abuse

Never Understood Bottled Water Fad

Those reverse osmosis filters work great, my parents have one and it was less than $150. Thankfully, I'm out in the woods in Cheeseland and I have well water Evian would kill for. lol

By Chris @ 07/24/09 12:09:15 AMreport abuse

Drinking Tap Water

I completely agree the environmental effects of using bottled water are disgraceful. But to say tap water is completely safe is simply not true.
The fact is, disinfection byproducts (Trihalomethanes) are carcinogenic. Furthermore, you absorb more of them breathing in the shower and sitting in them in the bath than you do drinking them. Since when is cancer a money saver?
In addition, large cities are now using Chloramine for disinfection (chlorine plus 20% ammonia!) Chloramine corrodes gaskets in toilets and appliances. It even turns stainless steel gray and eventually pits and corrodes it. If it will do that to stainless steel, what is it doing to you? And how is destroying your plumbing and appliances saving you money?
The only real solution is a whole house filter that can remove chloramine and Volatile organic compounds. And I didn't even get into Fluoride!

By Donna Hoffman @ 07/23/09 05:03:38 PMreport abuse

Tap Water in the US is the Safest in the World

I work in the Water Industry. The AP report referenced by drew below is just a good example of sensationalism used to generate ratings. As far as pharm. and other things being DETECTED in drinking water sources, you have to remember a few things. First that technology has increased to the point were we can detect compounds at extremely small levels (levels that are orders of magnitude lower than what people voluntarily expose themselves to through other sources). In fact these chemicals that are now being "discovered" may have always been there. For a good rebuttal to the AP hit piece, check out: http://www.drinktap.org/

In response to the statement below by J Greene that "tap water is full of chemicals": With the exception of distilled water ALL water is full of things other than water (minerals, salts, etc.). This is actually a good thing. First, distilled water tastes like CRAP, second, the other things in the water tend to make the water less agressive.

The idea that tap water is "full of chemicals" is misleading at best and a flat out lie at worst. The traditional surface water treatment plant adds Aluminum Sulfate which makes the dirt in the water "sticky" - so it gets heavy and settles out. All the Alum added is gone by the time the water is filtered. Sometimes activated carbon (the same compound in your home filter) or potassium permanganate is used prior to this step to remove unpleasant tastes and odors. Both chemicals are removed by the physical treatment steps - sedimentation and filtration. There are three or four chemicals added that actually stay in the water and you should be thankful they are there. First is chlorine - the single largest public health advancement in the world is the addition of chlorine to drinking water. Chlorine in drinking water has prevented far more deaths than any other advancement including antibiotics (if you don't get sick in the first place, you don't need the drugs). If you don't believe me, go to Africa or rural India and drink the water yourself - let me know how that works out (if you survive). Next is fluoride (to prevent tooth decay). Lime is added to adjust the pH and sometimes a corrosion inhibitor is added (both prevent corrosion of you piping and leaching of lead and copper out of your plumbing fixtures and into you). Remember - all brass (regardless of the lead free designation) contains some lead.

Most of the people at your local water treatment plant actually consider themselves to be in the public health industry and they desire to deliver high quality and safe water. Ask for a tour of your local plant sometime and take a look at what it takes to deliver the water to your tap. I think you will have a new respect for what is involved and just how safe your water is!

By MikeR @ 07/23/09 04:42:35 PMreport abuse

I agree with the OP. I'd rather drink city water. I read the ingredients label on my wife's bottled water. It says it contains the Denver water supply. I live in Nebraska. Why do I want to carry around drinking water from Denver? If my own water at home is not fit to drink, I would walk off and leave my house vacant for the government to foreclose on rather than live sitting on top of water I cannot drink for whatever reason!

By hereticzero @ 07/23/09 01:33:47 PMreport abuse

Bottled vs Tap

Typo correction: it's 40 gallons of waste for 5 gallons of treated water, not one gallon.

By Bob @ 07/23/09 01:24:32 PMreport abuse

Tap is fine. Municipal water systems comply with EPA standards and is tested several times every day. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA. It is generally fine, but expensive even when bought by the gallon. The largest selling bottled water brands are just filtered water from a municipal system. There has been much discussion on Clark's show about filter systems and reverse osmosis (RO) systems in particular. Home RO systems are extremely inefficient. Typically, for every gallon of water produced for drinking, 40 or more gallons are processed as waste and sent down the drain. Home RO systems do not operate at high enough pressure to operate efficiently. Even high pressure commercial systems lose half the water processed as waste. That's just the way RO systems work.

By Bob @ 07/23/09 01:19:55 PMreport abuse

EPA vs. FDA

Upon further investigation, it seems the EPA is in charge of ensuring tap water is safe. By all reports, their requirments are tougher than the FDA's requirements on bottled water. If bottled water is no better than tap water, isn't this a case of the FDA once again not doing it's job?

By drew @ 07/23/09 12:10:42 PMreport abuse

Well Howard, my well water is not fit to drink! Many citizens get their water from a well. I've seen well water run through filters and the tiles in the bathroom turn orange and the owners have a difficult time trying to keep them looking good. Bottled water is the way to go for many of us who cannot connect to city water. I use bottled water and know that it is expensive but I'd rather drink that than the "green" water that comes from my well. And yes I do maintain the well.
Mark

By Mark Hillyard @ 07/23/09 11:26:31 AMreport abuse

pharmaceuticals found in drinking water

From the AP:
"A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows."

Clark already acknowledges that the FDA is a shill for corporations, so why should I trust them to keep my tap water clean.

I agree that filters are the way to go, but bottled water is sometimes the only alternative to tap water.

By drew @ 07/23/09 10:53:12 AMreport abuse

You keep saying the same thing...

You always point out the same thing, that bottled water is expensive, that tap water is cheap, that bottled water is basically the same as tap water, and that tap water is safe. You make it seem like there is absolutely no difference between tap water. This is not true.

First, bottled water is expensive when you buy it from a convenience store, where everything is expensive. Why don't you point out the prices of water at Costco, a store you love? It is cheap when you buy it by the gallon.

Second, tap water is cheap, but there are other costs. I will address that later.

Third, not all bottled water is just filtered tap water. Sure, there are a number of brands that are that way, but there are also a number of bottled waters that are pure spring water. You fail to mention them, only mentioning the filtered brands. Please give the spring water companies some fair time too.

Last, tap water is full of chemicals. It is used to get rid of the impurities that are in the city water. Each city varies in their tap water quality, but you can count on them having many chemicals to "clean" the water. Don't you think there are some health issues that come with drinking chemical water? Why don't you mention that?

The only part I can agree with you is the use of a filter. It makes much more sense to use a filter than to buy bottled water. A home filter will eliminate most of the chemicals in tap water, making it safer to drink. Why don't you spend more time focusing on them rather than griping about the companies that offer an alternative to tap water?

By J Greene @ 07/22/09 10:16:31 PMreport abuse

while you are out...

While I dont understand why people would drink bottled water in their home or office where there is a tap handy, I sometimes get some to drink while I am out at a convenience store or something and there is no fountain around and don't feel like getting a drink from the bathroom sink.

By R.L.Evans @ 07/22/09 09:28:11 PMreport abuse

Do the same for Healthcare

This is OUTRAGIOUS that greedy private companies get to profit from areas that the government should control, like drinking water.

Additionally, global warming is on the verge of destroying the world and our precious children, and bottled water is one of the primary culprits (Keith Olberman said).

Bottled water MUST be banned from all countries to save the planet and the animals before its too late. There is NO time to wait.

Hopefully, the couragious Sydney government will do the same with Healthcare and abolish private healthcare to help save the people and bring equality to all.

By Socialist Sam @ 07/22/09 05:02:01 PMreport abuse

coke

no bottled water? i guess i'll have to drink the coca cola.

By yo @ 07/22/09 04:47:28 PMreport abuse

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Jul 22, 2009 -- Bottled water banned in Australian suburb

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