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Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

theguardian.com

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Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#2
The World Health Organization has a report titled "Health risks from drinking demineralised water". The main problem is that water without minerals upsets the osmotic balance and leads to lysing (rupture) of the cells lining the stomach.

The WHO has moved stuff on their site, but I think this document is one source:

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap...

Coffee grounds are a good filter for removing heavy metal contaminants from water:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/24/science/coffee-grounds-fil...

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#3
I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else?

But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drink accordingly. The advertisers have told people that they need to buy water and drink it to avoid getting dehydrated - 'mustn't get dehydrated'... Tapwater is inconceivable to this demographic, it has to be the stuff in plastic bottles (water cooler included).

I also like the way old-fashioned drinks are a slightly sociable thing. If I make tea I do it for everyone, we take turns. Meanwhile the 'hydrationists' sort their own bottled water arrangements out, it is not a shared thing.

I also like the way that tap water gets to your door. There are pumping stations, pipes and this thing called gravity!!! Meanwhile, the 'hydrationists' need little men driving big lorries full of water across continents, more little people in shops stacking shelves with this stuff, time out of their day to go to the shops to buy this stuff and the money to pay for it. I don't see myself as that special, tap water is more me (60% or so...), you are what you drink.

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#4

I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else? But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drin…

Many people don't drink from the tap because they are convinced it's bad water (which is true in corner cases at least in the US). Everyone I know who drinks bottled does it because of this and it has nothing to do with this 'hydration' ritual you are theorizing.

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#5
post #4

I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else? But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drin…

Many people don't drink from the tap because they are convinced it's bad water (which is true in corner cases at least in the US). Everyone I know who drinks bottled does it because of this and it has nothing to do with this 'hydration' ritual you are theorizing.

The water peddlers have successfully convinced people in places where the water is perfectly safe to drink (and tasty too) that it isn't. There are plenty of places in the world where the water isn't safe to drink but a very large portion of those is so poor the people there could not afford bottled water anyway.

But for places with old water lines and all kinds of junk in the water it can make good sense to use bottled water for consumption.

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#6
post #4

I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else? But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drin…

Many people don't drink from the tap because they are convinced it's bad water (which is true in corner cases at least in the US). Everyone I know who drinks bottled does it because of this and it has nothing to do with this 'hydration' ritual you are theorizing.

After watching documentaries about America's crumbling infrastructure I've been paranoid about tap water. My thinking is that the less piping that the water travels through, the less risk of contamination. I've assumed that bottled water gets bottled right by the its source, minimizing the risk.

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#7
post #4

I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else? But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drin…

Many people don't drink from the tap because they are convinced it's bad water (which is true in corner cases at least in the US). Everyone I know who drinks bottled does it because of this and it has nothing to do with this 'hydration' ritual you are theorizing.

[deleted]

Re: Liquid assets: how the business of bottled water went mad

#8
post #4

I think part of this is to do with the 'hydrate' word. Years ago, before water was advertised on television there was this word 'thirsty'. Sometimes, on a hot day or after some strenuous activity you might be 'thirsty' and need to have a drink of tea or maybe just plain water for instant refreshment. The water came from the tap, where else? But then times changed. Nowadays people don't listen to their bodies and drin…

Many people don't drink from the tap because they are convinced it's bad water (which is true in corner cases at least in the US). Everyone I know who drinks bottled does it because of this and it has nothing to do with this 'hydration' ritual you are theorizing.

I'm from Poland where I don't know anyone who drinks water from the tap, purely because of widespread belief that tap water is bad(which comes all the way back from communist times, when you couldn't trust what the government said). My mum drinks water from the tap if nothing else is available, but only after boiling it first.
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