Bottled-Filtered-Tap Water-Facts

[shyvas]

I have often wondered why so many people buy bottled water, due to the price and the fact that most of the brands use plastic bottles. The only bottled water that I still occasionally buy is fizzy.

If manufacturers sell spring water at this rate, what will happen to the sources ?

What's healtier - bottled mineral, filtered or tap water? Benefits of filtered water?

 

[shyvas]

Despite the huge anti plastic campagne so many consumers are still buying bottled water. It's sort of mind boggling as tap water is so inexpensive.

 

[Val]

Despite the huge anti plastic campagne so many consumers are still buying bottled water. It's sort of mind boggling as tap water is so inexpensive.

What is really mind boggling, is that in Russia, it's merely unsafe to drink tap water. You have either to use super expensive filters (systems), installed on your faucet (which doesn't actually guarantee the absence of contamination threat); or you have to heavily boil your water (we do it as well, but this water becomes "dead"); or you have to buy bottled water (they say, sometimes it's of a very poor quality, therefore it's dangerous too).
If you live at the russian countryside, as a rule, there is one more option: to take the water from the well (at your own risk). But it doesn't guarantee anything either, because every now and then even countryside wells get contaminated with nasty diseases like dysentery due to constant shifts of underground waters (and some natural underground reservoires get polluted heavily by humanoids' and domestic animals' feces)...

 

[shyvas]

What is really mind boggling, is that in Russia, it's merely unsafe to drink tap water. You have either to use super expensive filters (systems), installed on your faucet (which doesn't actually guarantee the absence of contamination threat); or you have to heavily boil your water (we do it as well, but this water becomes "dead"); or you have to buy bottled water (they say, sometimes it's of a very poor quality, therefore it's dangerous too).
If you live at the russian countryside, as a rule, there is one more option: to take the water from the well (at your own risk). But it doesn't guarantee anything either, because every now and then even countryside wells get contaminated with nasty diseases like dysentery due to constant shifts of underground waters (and some natural underground reservoires get polluted heavily by humanoids' and domestic animals' feces)...

I remember the awful taste of water when I visited Russia. It tasted of iron, so we ended up by only drinking tea

 

[Val]

I remember the awful taste of water when I visited Russia. It tasted of iron, so we ended up by only drinking tea

Well, it definitely got better now (it's filtered with ultraviolet now). Moreover, in 1980s, you probably were unlucky to get your accomodation in the Central district, where the pipes are corrosed (and even unsafe). Nevertheless, the taste and quality of water in every district is so different (nowadays), that even if it's fine,- guests from another districts who come, lets say, to Suzdal'sky avenue, can't even touch the water. We are lucky to live in the town where the quality of water is more than acceptable (i like it a lot), but at work (my work building) the water stinks badly (most of the time). Yuck... Plus, i used to live on Suzdal'sky avenue, and it was awful (i preferred not to get into the bathtub very often, and i used to wash my head in barbers shops, if i could). So, you probably were not lucky with the district you were living in.(((

 

[shyvas]

Well, it definitely got better now (it's filtered with ultraviolet now). Moreover, in 1980s, you probably were unlucky to get your accomodation in the Central district, where the pipes are corrosed (and even unsafe). Nevertheless, the taste and quality of water in every district is so different (nowadays), that even if it's fine,- guests from another districts who come, lets say, to Suzdal'sky avenue, can't even touch the water. We are lucky to live in the town where the quality of water is more than acceptable (i like it a lot), but at work (my work building) the water stinks badly (most of the time). Yuck... Plus, i used to live on Suzdal'sky avenue, and it was awful (i preferred not to get into the bathtub very often, and i used to wash my head in barbers shops, if i could). So, you probably were not lucky with the district you were living in.(((

Even on the plane the water tasted vile.

 

[Val]

Even on the plane the water tasted vile.

Ooohh uuughhh You must have had a tough experience. OTOH, you can come here nowadays and feel safe about lots of things that you couldn't trust in the past.

 

[Tom L.]

I have often wondered why so many people buy bottled water, due to the price and the fact that most of the brands use plastic bottles......

The article appears to be mainly concerned with bottled and tap water in Europe- which is important!- but my thoughts on the issue here in North America:

I'm pretty sure both bottled and tap water are generally safe. My biggest concern is with the plastic being used. Yes, we have recycling of plastic, which is far better than making plastic new from petroleum, incinerating it, or landfilling it...

BUT.....

Plastic seems to be the most problematic material to recycle, compared to metal, glass, or paper (it's true that other materials can be, and are, recycled, but I think these are the major ones). Plastic bottles and containers do have a stamp which indicates what resin they're made of, but contamination is still a big problem compared to the other 3 types. I actually wash and rinse my plastic containers (with my dishes) before I recycle them, and even with the care I take, it's not always easy.

I sometimes also wonder about the traces of compounds used to make the plastic which remain in the plastic bottles. I suspect there would be plenty of time for these to leach out into the water, but I read or heard about this quite some time ago and don't know if anyone thinks it's concern. Then again, there is some evidence that the chlorine used to treat tap water before drinking can react with natural compounds in the water, creating traces of things which aren't good for you (although pathogenic bacteria would be much worse!)

Maybe we should just boil the water we intend to drink... or wash our dishes with?....