57 replies to this topic

[DayLilly]

The water in my city is TERRIBLE. Its so bad that I don't even like to bathe in it. I used to buy bottled water all the time until I decided to invest in filters I currently have a bath and shower filter and a filtered pitcher with an ultraviolet light in it to kill the bacteria. The water from the pitcher doesn't taste as great as bottled waters but I usually mix it with stuff like frozen fruit juice or I cook with it so it doesn't make it too bad. I just hate that I have to wash the dishes and my laundry in unfiltered water because it stains them bad.

[jasserEnv]

DayLilly, on 30 October 2011 - 11:42 PM, said:

The water in my city is TERRIBLE. Its so bad that I don't even like to bathe in it. I used to buy bottled water all the time until I decided to invest in filters I currently have a bath and shower filter and a filtered pitcher with an ultraviolet light in it to kill the bacteria. The water from the pitcher doesn't taste as great as bottled waters but I usually mix it with stuff like frozen fruit juice or I cook with it so it doesn't make it too bad. I just hate that I have to wash the dishes and my laundry in unfiltered water because it stains them bad.

This is one of those situations where it is likely that a small group of individuals could work to push the city to improve the quality of water. It does take time, but it is worth the effort. If the water is contaminated, contains excessive minerals or is just unfit to drink, it affects everybody. This means it shouldn't be that hard to get direct support.

[kathie_san]

As a kid I've always been drinking tap water. I was raised in the countryside so it's pretty much cleaner and tastes better compared to the tap water here in the city which has too much chlorine. Since I moved to the city I have always been drinking purified water.

[Lee11]

In 1996, my first year chemistry lecturer taught us about water. He was from the U.K and a specialist in what he did. He asked us to do one thing for him. Just one. He asked us to invest in a simple water filter and to never buy bottled water, for a number or reasons. One of the reasons was that bacteria often breeds in those bottles, in fact a documentary proved this to me many years after his warning. The plastic bottles leach particles into the water. There is no guarantee on where the water comes from and the list goes on...What really concerns me is how all those bottles add up and become waste...just piling up in landfills. Too awful.

Tap water often has chemicals and other toxins in it, boiling can help with the chlorine etc but not with everything. Tap water quality also differs according to city and country. Standards are low too. Investing in a filter for the tap is the best option I feel, and cheap too. Or a re-usable filter bottle that is BPA free (usually filters about 150 liters).

So, I would say filtered tap water over bottled water.

[Usty]

The water from my sink isn't that different from bottled water. It lacks that plastic taste. That's really the only thing I notice about it.  If theres nothing wrong with your local water supply, there's no real reason to get bottled water. If you're paranoid, a filter will come in handy.

[Alli]

I remember visiting the water treatment plant for part of Seattle and seeing that all they had to do was treat it for possible disease (chlorine/chloride treatment then left in open air) and put it through what looked like a screen door to get out leaves or chunks of debris. There were fish swimming in the drinking water source. It was lovely.
Now I'm in Beijing, where the municipal water is technically supposed to be ok when it leaves the plant, but the pipes underground are still full of lead. So, yeah, we're not drinking the tap water that has been sitting underground soaking up lead.
I *hate* the fact that we have to buy bottled water, but we do. Everyone does except for people who don't know better (and yes, there are problems with children and pregnant women getting lead poisoning)
Nestle provides our bottled water- which I'm also not thrilled about supporting, but at least I feel pretty safe that it isn't just tap water poured into bottles. (We do not buy random bottles from street vendors because those often ARE just tap water put into bottles)

[Green Olive]

I have bottled water in my stockpile, but it is for an emergency. I drink water out of my tap, and if I am on the go, I use a thermos. If I do buy bottle water, I refill the bottle, and stick it in my fridge. I have seen an artist that makes furniture from plastic bottles, if you use a lot of these bottles, you might check into where the nearest recycling center is. There is no need to throw this plastic in the garbage.

[jasserEnv]

Green Olive, on 02 November 2011 - 07:52 AM, said:

I have bottled water in my stockpile, but it is for an emergency. I drink water out of my tap, and if I am on the go, I use a thermos. If I do buy bottle water, I refill the bottle, and stick it in my fridge. I have seen an artist that makes furniture from plastic bottles, if you use a lot of these bottles, you might check into where the nearest recycling center is. There is no need to throw this plastic in the garbage.

Another option would be to get a large tank that isn't made of plastic so that you can avoid the solvents that leach into the water. If you plumbed that tank into your water intake, you would have a tank ready when you need it and its contents would be constantly changing. This also constantly tests that your backup is available so that when you eventually need it, you aren't surprised to find out the water isn't consumable.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

What's the total tonnage of plastic waste that ends up in our oceans?
A vast majority of that junk is water bottles because only a small percentage of folks recycle those bottles.
Buy one or two good reusable bottles, and use tap water that has been cleaned/purified through
a filtration system. There are many on the market now, so there is no reason to continue to buy
bottled water. Not to mention, the cost of it is staggering over the year; the emissions to ship
it to your store.

[Alli]

We actually get the home bottles- the big giant plastic bottle that you turn over onto a dispenser- and it dispenses hot and cold water. (Like a water cooler at work) When we call for new bottles, they come pick up the old ones and those get refilled at the processing place. So the bottles themselves are reused/recycled back into the system. I think if you have to have bottled water, this is the best option. Besides, they deliver right to the door, so no need to lug home bottles of water.

[Ansem]

I don't see the problem with tap water, I know for part that in countries like spain you need bottled water as purifying the water to completely drinkable is much too costly, but in the rest of europe and asia for sure it's fine to drink tap water.

[Liv]

I also use tap and bottled water. I don't mind using tap when I am boiling it but I will not let my kids drink water from the tap. This stems from an issue we had in the area where we live a few years back. The water was contaminated and a lot of people became really ill. While this is no longer an issue, I no longer trust tap water at all.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

DayLilly, on 30 October 2011 - 11:42 PM, said:

The water in my city is TERRIBLE. Its so bad that I don't even like to bathe in it. I used to buy bottled water all the time until I decided to invest in filters I currently have a bath and shower filter and a filtered pitcher with an ultraviolet light in it to kill the bacteria. The water from the pitcher doesn't taste as great as bottled waters but I usually mix it with stuff like frozen fruit juice or I cook with it so it doesn't make it too bad. I just hate that I have to wash the dishes and my laundry in unfiltered water because it stains them bad.

Add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to the final rinse. And no, you won't smell like a salad   but it will help take out some
of the hardened minerals that stick like glue to clothes. Helps your machine and pipes too.

As a matter of fact, about once a month or so, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into your drains (bath/kitchen)
then add 1/2 cup of vinegar. It'll bubble up, and clean out all the nasties that hang around the drain.
There's a lot of bacteria there, and most folks don't clean that area of the sink.
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar
http://www.angelfire...ng/vinegar.html
Also, check into counter-top water filters. They're cheaper than the kind that you have to replace the
filters on every 3 months. Some use charcoal, some use crushed coconut shells, and last about a year+
(And don't forget, line dry em' when you're done (summer) or inside on a rack (winter) which also adds
moisture to the air and reduces your kwh draw.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Alli, on 06 November 2011 - 05:28 AM, said:

We actually get the home bottles- the big giant plastic bottle that you turn over onto a dispenser- and it dispenses hot and cold water. (Like a water cooler at work) When we call for new bottles, they come pick up the old ones and those get refilled at the processing place. So the bottles themselves are reused/recycled back into the system. I think if you have to have bottled water, this is the best option. Besides, they deliver right to the door, so no need to lug home bottles of water.

That is a step in the right direction but a counter top filter is a one time trip taking it home. Delivery emissions from
the bottle water guy/gal add up. But still much, much better than small, individual bottles.

[jasserEnv]

Ansem, on 06 November 2011 - 08:54 AM, said:

I don't see the problem with tap water, I know for part that in countries like spain you need bottled water as purifying the water to completely drinkable is much too costly, but in the rest of europe and asia for sure it's fine to drink tap water.

I doubt that the cost of purifying the water costs different amounts in different countries. It simply involves filtration plants and the technology is common place. The more likely reason is that the majority opinion in Spain is not to pay tax dollars to purify the water. This is actually very short sighted because it increases the burden of disease from untreated water and exacerbates use of bottled water. I really wonder if any companies have been lobbying to maintain their hold on the bottled water market.

[lucky120]

Well we have a filter on your faucet. We use brita for our clean water. The thing with bottled water is that since we drink so much you would have to keep buying the bottled water each time you run out. At least with the filters they last awhile. I hate tap water and it is not safe to drink at all and some places the water is brown and gross. I would not drink regualar tap water at all. I mean you have to know what is right for you and everything that you want. I would choose something that is good for you to use. I mean that is what I would do anyway. Good luck to you and everyone else here.

[Alli]

One problem with filtering is that most filters do not filter for everything- you need to get a filter that specifically takes out lead if there is lead in your water, for example.
Full filters are very expensive- your Brita pitcher in the fridge will not get out lead.
I'm not willing to put my child at risk of lead poisoning or whatever chemicals are in the water here (which a lead-specific filter might not remove). I do not trust the tap water, so we have water delivery (in the big water cooler bottles).
If I were in the US or Europe, I would probably get a home filter and trust the tap water a bit more. Seattle's water was fine, for example. In much of China, however, tap water is not safe.  I would never advise someone to drink the tap water here.

[carol4]

There has been much controversy about bottled water. It is convenient when traveling or just out walking. As long as you recycle the bottle you are helping the environment.  If you are blessed to live in a city where the water is good, why not save a few plastic bottles and just fill with tap water.  It saves some money and the environment.  People often tend to feel that the fancy brands use better water, however we cannot be sure of this unless we have the water analyzed.

[sammilynn]

We can't drink our tap water, it's untreated well water, full of minerals and bacteria, so we drink bottled water.

I know it's wasteful, but I would rather do that than attempt to drink this water when you can't get near it if you're breathing through your nose, and then end up getting sick because of all the bacteria.

Even if we boil it, it's still not safe.

When I move into a place that is not on a well, I'll drink the tap water. :)

[GreenQueen]

I believe that bottles water it terrible. So much plastic is being used. Here at my college
we dont encourage bottled water. We also give out free reusable containers to every student.
They allow us to fill them up with any drink in the cafe. I take my bottle with me everywhere I go.
Whether I am drinking tap water or bottles water, it is all water.