It all depends on what tap water you compare it with. In many places in the US I’ve been, the tap water was heavily chlorinated, and that’s not exactly a subtle taste note in the water.
How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
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Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#12No commentary about entertainment venues removing/hiding the water fountains and making carry ins (like my refillable bottle) illegal for security theater reasons?
I'm not saying that explains 35 gallons a year unless you go out a heck of a lot more than I do, but it is something of a gateway drug, that once you get used to going to the state fair and spending $7 for a brat and ... $2 for the bottled water to go with it, you're on a slippery slope to buying more bottled water later. Look how cheap the bottles are at the store, why I paid $2 for one bottle at the fair, and I can get a dozen bottles at the food store for $3 what an awesome great deal bottled water is I'm gonna buy some for next time I go out...
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#13The downside of bottled water is BPA from the plastic container that is released when exposed to sunlight/heat but the downside of tap water is that you can't control the level of nitrites, PH levels, chlorine and debris from building pipes.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#14If places sold an empty bottle for 5c or whatever that you had to fill up by yourself at a tap, then that's what I would buy. Sometimes you're out and you want something to drink but you don't have a container, bottled water is kind of an obvious choice. All the purity shit is just capitalist competition in action. And I still don't understand what is worse about it than bottled Coke or whatever.
That seems like a pretty good business idea. Even for 25c I'd buy it. Especially at like airports.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#15Evian is the only non flavored water that I have tasted that actually has a different taste to it.
Either way I dont drink bottled water because I dislike tap water. Most of the times I dont have a container or a tap to fill up with water. So I am stuck getting a Dasani or Evian from a gas station or vending machine at work.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#16If places sold an empty bottle for 5c or whatever that you had to fill up by yourself at a tap, then that's what I would buy. Sometimes you're out and you want something to drink but you don't have a container, bottled water is kind of an obvious choice. All the purity shit is just capitalist competition in action. And I still don't understand what is worse about it than bottled Coke or whatever.
That seems like a pretty good business idea. Even for 25c I'd buy it. Especially at like airports.
If they were flexible enough to be collapsed then shipping and storage would be significantly cheaper than bottled water too.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#17Every reason mentioned except the main one - that you can't charge $4 for a cup w/tap water in it? Also when fast food/day-to-day restaurants give you a cup for water, it's tiny and uncovered.
I would prefer tap water in all cases. It is never a convenient choice.
edit: If you wanted to legislate effectively (rather than in a Bloombergian manner), just require that tap water be a first class citizen at restaurants (same cups, same sizes), and that the purchase of soda/bottled water cannot be involved in a package discount, unless tap water would give you the same discount.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#18The tap water in my apartment is disgusting. I tried filtering it, but it still tastes terrible. It doesn't even do a good job of cleaning my dishes in my dishwasher. I buy Poland Spring by the case, keep it in the refrigerator, and drink that instead. I have nothing against drinking tap water in principle, but my actual tap water leaves a lot to be desired.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#19Evian is the only non flavored water that I have tasted that actually has a different taste to it. Either way I dont drink bottled water because I dislike tap water. Most of the times I dont have a container or a tap to fill up with water. So I am stuck getting a Dasani or Evian from a gas station or vending machine at work.
Fiji is unique, because it's softened more so than others. In my opinion, it's delicious. While I normally don't buy battled water, if I must, it's Fiji, if available.
Re: How Drinking Bottled Water Became a Thing
#20If places sold an empty bottle for 5c or whatever that you had to fill up by yourself at a tap, then that's what I would buy. Sometimes you're out and you want something to drink but you don't have a container, bottled water is kind of an obvious choice. All the purity shit is just capitalist competition in action. And I still don't understand what is worse about it than bottled Coke or whatever.
But who would buy it?
Contra the article, I would argue that there's three reasons bottled water became popular:
1) Convenience: no need to tote an empty container around with you, or find one when you're thirsty
2) Status signaling: a.k.a. "tap water is what the proles drink"
3) Collapse of faith in the efficacy of collective action: the rise of Perrier was driven by sales in the US & UK, and occurred during the late '70s and early '80s, the same time as the rise of Reagan and Thatcher and the beginning of the era we live in now. Guarantees of the purity of tap water rested on the authority of government, which people had stopped believing in. The purity of bottled water rested on the authority of the Free Market™, which was more in fashion.
Empty bottle plus tap would be much better for the environment, and probably cost people less over time than bottled water does, but it fails in comparison on all three of those points. And since history shows these are the points people care about, the prospects of the concept don't seem bright; at least not without another major shift in society.