The Water Bottle Battle

If, when you turn on the water faucet at your kitchen sink, you observe a green liquid full of small jelly fish pouring out, then you should definitely drink bottled water. If this does not happen, however, you are most assuredly wasting money on a product that you can acquire for almost nothing. A product that is most probably as safe and healthful as the overpriced bottled version.

According to the Worldwatch Institute, bottled water is the world's fastest-growing commercial beverage. Global consumption has more than doubled since 1997. The United States is the world's largest consumer of bottled water. We drank nearly 8 billion gallons in 2005, and added a lot of plastic bottles to our nation's landfills.

In many parts of the world, especially the developing countries, people do not have access to a source of safe drinking water, and bottled water can be a welcomed solution to the problem of unreliable municipal water supplies. Even in industrial countries with strict health standards, such as the United States, a truckload of bottled water can be a lifesaver in a disaster area where the traditional source of safe water is no longer available. But that is not the normal situation in the United States. Our rush to used bottled water is the direct result of a clever and sustained marketing campaign. We've been led to believe that expensive bottled water is safer and tastier than water from our municipal tap. We've been bamboozled.

In March of 1999 the N

tural Resources Defense Council, in a report submitted to the FDA, indicated that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water. This report highlighted the major differences between EPA tap water rules and FDA bottled water rules.According to the report the required frequency of testing for bacteria and for synthetic organic chemicals was significantly higher for tap water than for bottled water. Only for big city tap water systems was disinfection and pathogen filtering required. The confirmed presence of E. Coli and fecal coliform bacteria, a classic indicator of a failure in water treatment, is banned only in tap water. Only big city tap water systems are required to test for cryptosporidium and giardia viruses. These two viruses are the cause of diarrheal disease and the most frequent cause of waterborne disease among humans in the United States.

These shocking differences in testing requirements, however, do no mean that any given sample of bottled water is better or worse than any given sample of municipal tap water. They simply indicate that a comparison between the minimum quality standards for bottled water and those for municipal tap water suggests the probability that tap water is as good or better than the bottled version. It further suggests that those who use bottled water are spending a great deal more than is necessary to quench their thirst.

I have been to shows and sporting events where 12-ounce bottles of water were selling for $2.00 each, and they were selling like hot cakes. Let's assume that you are too astute to buy one of these every day at a cost of over $700 per year (there are those who do). You're still a loser if you buy only one each week, spending over $100 a year for something that is practically free. For some people $100 is half a car payment, or one month's electric bill. Yet, having witnessed the sanitary conditions of most municipal and event arenas water fountains, I can understand the desire to use the bottled option. But, why not save money, save the environment, and bring the water from home.

Acquire a 12-ounce bottle for every family member. Because of recent concerns about harmful additives in plastic bottles leaching into the beverage, glass bottles are recommended. If you're concerned about child safety, low-cost metal containers are available.If you're afraid of being identified as a cheapskate, buy one six-pack of name brand bottled water, and use the empties. Each night fill them with tap water and place them into the refrigerator. Whenever you have to go for a ride in the car, or for a walk around the block, take one of these with you. You'll save about $.59 for every bottle of commercial water that you don't buy. If you've been drinking one bottle per day, you could end up saving more than $200 per year. Every time you take one to a sporting event, you could save $2.00. Think about it. It's water, for God's sake!

Roger Sturk is a miserly vegetarian. He has listed most of his transitional and vegetarian recipes, along with a few money saving idea, on his website "The Thrifty Vegetarian." Review his website by clicking here: http://www.thethriftyvegetarian.com