Some people I know buy bottled water all the time even though the tap water here [where I live] is not contaminated at all. Even if it was, there'd still be no reason why one should buy bottled water when water filtration could get it to be as clean and pure as you want it to be. Isn't it better to install water filters/ water purifiers and forget about buying water forever?
I have to say we've been guilty of doing that. It was mainly because we recently moved from the UK to my home country of Botswana. Most people are wary of going to any foreign country and drinking water there (perhaps rightly so) because it may not be properly sanitised. My husband was no different and to acclamatise, we bought water. We then slowly eased him into drinking local tap water. He now feels confident enough to drink tap water as we've now been here just over a year. We just make sure it's filtered, and he's been alright.
Where I live, selling drinking water is a thriving business. There are a number of reasons for this. The main one is that water from the tap is often tainted with rust or mud, so water from the tap is not fit for drinking. Another thing is that many people are working people living on their own away from their families. To boil their own drinking water means that they must have the utensils to do it. Gas stoves are not practical when you live in a one-room flat. An electic heater must be attended to. An electric kettle that switches off automatically when the water is boiled costs quite a bit. Plus the cost of electricity in a rented room makes it prohibitive to use such electric utensils. Drinking water is cheap. Just 00.20usd per pack of 6 1-litre bottles.
It depends largely on where you live. Even if the water is supposedly potable I see no harm in reboiling it once just to be safe. Whenever I visit other countries I tend to just buy bottled water since I don't have the luxury of bringing a water boiler with me.
I only buy bottled water when I am traveling, but I bought a water bottle with a filter recently which has been great to save money, but also is more convenient. At home I do use a water filter and my parents are old fashioned and boil water and let it cool down. That is what I used when I was in Nepal, as there are no water filters and boiling is the only way to ensure water is safe. Bottled water was impractical and in remote places it is not very green.
I think what we're paying for the water that we buy is the assurance that it's safe to drink. It's purified and it undergone through rigid processes to make sure that it doesn't have those chemicals and bacteria that might be harmful to us. Personally, if that's the case, then it's worth spending our money for.
I only buy water bottles whenever I'm out and about from my house without water, or I'm hosting a get-together or party. Otherwise, at home, I reuse my a water bottle and fill it up with water that I had filter first with a alkaline filtration device. Water is ridiculously over-priced, but it's a essential need, which other drinks like juices, sodas, beers, and whatever can demand in price from customers.
Actually, bottled water is a very common thing in Thailand. Whenever there are feasts, there will be crates upon crates of bottled water available. I think the main reason is that bottled water is so cheap in Thailand.
If it concerns your health, why not buy bottled water. If you are not sure whether the water is safe for drinking and you see that everyone else is buying bottled water, then I don't see any reason why you should not buy too. We used to buy bottled water but then we switched on to filters and water purifiers. We only need to change the filter every 6 months and it doesn't cost much.
The only time I think it makes sense is if the water from the tap is questionable and you don't have a filter at hand, or you forget to bring water with you. Aside from that, it just feels like a waste of money and extra plastic thrown into the environment.
I agree, I think it is pretty silly. You can buy a filter at so much lower cost and get the same level of clean in your water. Also, many stores now sell filtered water by the gallon. You can buy gallon jugs one time and reuse them as long as they last and you only have to pay a small amount per gallon for the filtered water. I think that's a much better way to go if you need more filtered water than you have time to filter with one of those pitchers. Chlorine is one of the biggest health concerns with tap water I think. Some people are more sensitive to it due to health conditions that can make it harder on their bodies.
I think that people who travel a lot do not want to risk getting sick from the water they drink, and this is why they buy bottled water. This is what we can probably call a preventive measure compared to ending up being brought to the hospital because of sickness brought about by tap water. I would personally prefer to spend a few extra bucks to ensure that a trip would be as flawless as possible, and if that means drinking bottled water, then so be it.
The only reason people prefer to buy bottled water is they feel it is much better than the tap water. But many a times bottled water consists of chemicals that are required for preserving the water. These chemicals are not very beneficial for health. I do not think it is quite healthy to drink bottled water.
I used to live in a place that had bad tasting water that was rusty looking and so I bought gallons of distilled water for drinking and cooking. I don't think that in the U.S. the water labeled "Spring Water" actually is regulated in any helpful way and so I went with distilled. I was only there a short time and I haven't seen the need to buy water at any of the other places I have lived. We pay a lot for our treated water and I believe it is safe enough. I don't like the chlorine smell that is has at times, though.
I typically buy one to two cases of bottled water a month - mostly because we have well water at our home - and it tastes like sulphur so we drink bottled water. We have tried several water filtration systems to make our water taste better and it just doesnt work - plus the baby doesnt need all of the extra chemicals in her formula - so we just buy bottled.
In most parts of the U.S, clean water isn't an issue, but for many countries, it absolutely is. Even with a Britta filter or something to that extent, I still wouldn't trust the drinking water from Mexico after all the reports and stories and health warnings issued to absolutely avoid the drinking water. And if you're travelling, you're not going to be carrying around a Britta water filter are you? No, it's makes much more sense to just buy bottled water for the convenience. If you're home most of the time though, buying a filter of some kind seems to be the direction most people are going in as it essentially does the same thing of providing clean water without having to pay for bottled water every month. Its a cheaper alternative to pay the $30 for a filter, $10-$15 for a nice reusable water bottle and go from there.
I don't even bother filtering my water. I am lucky enough to live in a country where the water is clean and drinkable so I just fill a couple of bottles from the tap every morning and store them in the fridge. I would probably feel differently and use a filter if I had a small child though. i always drink bottled water on vacation though. Like lemony says, it is not worth compromising my health and the enjoyment of my trip for the sake of a few pence.
That's good. However, as you have noted, water that you can drink right off the tap is not a luxury enjoyed in many countries. I doubt if the authorities are even trying to make tap water drinkable. In some places, they put too much chlorine. In some places, they probably do not know of the existence of chlorine.
We have a water purifier at home, and also a distiller that we use sometimes. Since it takes several hours to distill a gallon of water, mostly we just use the water purifier. I do buy bottled water when we are on the road and need water to drink; but that is about the only time. It certainly costs a lot more here than it does for you, Victor Leigh. Our water here is almost $1 for a bottle now. the price iscrazy for just a bottle of plain old water !! However, many people buy it by the case at places like Walmart or Sam's Club.
I buy bottled water because I believe it's purified....sometimes when i'm out of bottled water, I boil my water. I've read that the water in my area is as clean & safe as bottle water. Maybe we are just conditioned to buy water. In the future, I will buy a water filtration system.....it's cheaper in the long run.
