Because I really don't care for the tap water where I am at, I make use of the reverse-osmosis water thing at the supermarket on my block, and reuse washable glass bottles. What is the lifecycle cost of that?

The tap water here is part river water of dubious quality, which is then mixed with mineralized hard well water. Occasionally large quantities of chlorine is mixed in to manage bacteria build up.

People carbonate their self-bottled water?

Because I really don't care for the tap water where I am at, I make use of the reverse-osmosis water thing at the supermarket on my block, and reuse washable glass bottles. What is the lifecycle cost of that?

The tap water here is part river water of dubious quality, which is then mixed with mineralized hard well water. Occasionally large quantities of chlorine is mixed in to manage bacteria build up.

People carbonate their self-bottled water?

Yes. I just got the new Soda Club (google it) model carbonator called "The Penguin." This is the model that is designed to use glass instead of polycarbonate bottles. Our procedure is: fill glass bottle with filtered tap water; put in frig to cool down, thereby increasing the solubility of C02 in water and resulting in larger bubbles; carbonate, drink.

It comes with fruit and soda flavor concentrates you may add post-carbonation if you want to.

In India, it is not completely possible to avoid using bottle water. The ground water and the water provided by the local municipality is not drinkable. Hence, we all get bottled water which is very big in places like Delhi. the ground water scales the vessles discolours the clothes. Still it is consumed as we do not have other alternatives.

I also agree that tap water is still drinkable and only the taste various from one place to another. Im happy to be drinking tap water when I travel internationally. But cannot do the same in India - although I would say that there is no proof of quality bottle water in India too.

in Chennai, the water supplied by the municipality is usually boiled to 100 C and filtered to drink.

You say that "somehow, somewhere, somebody decided that tap water was no longer acceptable and along came the paranoia, the bottled water and the oceans full of trash and empty plastic bottles. "
That somebody was corporations like Coke, Nestle, and Pepsi who decided to capitalize on creating doubt and eroding public confidence in public water systems in order to create a "need" for bottled water. By undermining tap water using their huge advertising budgets to create deceptive marketing campaigns, these corporations have changed how we think about water in our society.
That's why it is crucial to challenge the corporate control of water and expose the lies of the bottled water industry. Many grassroots campaigns are working towards this goal.

To learn more about Corporate Accountability International's Think Outside The Bottle campaign check out:
www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org

Here in NYC, water actually tastes better than where I grew up in Indiana, so it's totally regional.

Our water tastes about the same as when I was growing up. We just filter it and drink it. It's totally fine. If we need bottled water, we fill one at home and take it with us. No brainer.

I use tap water that goes through a fancy filtering system... I wonder what the impact of that is...

Of course you can drink tap water in restaurants in Barcelona. I have done it many many times. You just have to ask for it... Sin problem! and chez moi, all the drinking water is filtered by inline filters that last about six months. They take out all nasty tastes and any pesticide residues as well. There really is no reason at all to drink bottled water.

Great to see this analysis, but I think it's conservatively slanted in favor of the bottled water so drinking tap is even smarter than the numbers show.

Similar to the concept of "additionality" in renewable energy, using the tap for drinking water utilizes an infrastructure already there, a system that would reduce unit costs with greater utilization. There's almost no additionality in drawing your drinking water from the tap.

Like the durable mug vs. disposable cup debate, the environmental footprint of the mug is zero if it's already sitting in your cabinet, unused.

Not that I could defend this methodology in a life-cycle analysis, but it's worth noting when interpreting the results. To your health!

The Solution is with a non profit organization called: BACK TO THE TAP...FOR A HEALTHIER PLANET. With just 20.00 you can purchase a Sports Bottle that Filters As You Drink and can be safely refilled at any tap source. If everyone would turn to this system, we would minimize global plastic waste by approximately 1000 plastic bottles a year per average consumer!
Contributions and profits go to help those countries without proper drinking water as the Founder, Faith Paulus contributes Filters and Supplies to those in need. 1.00 for every purchase goes to Earth Share.
Visit: www.backtothetap.com

I, too, would like to see the LCA for filter systems. This debate too often comes down to an oversimplified "bottle bad, tap good" argument. In Salt Lake City, I have the best water I've even seen from a municipal system. But I lived in rural Oklahoma before, where the water tasted like a swimming pool. Keeping in mind that chlorine gas is a common chemical weapon, a middle ground seems reasonable.

A better way of approaching this would be to ask how bad the water needs to be before the environmental effects revealed by LCAs are outweighed by the health effects of filtered water. I'd imagine things would have to become horrific for bottled to make sense--massive pollution and a lack of infrastructure for water delivery, so that there is a high degree of additionality either way. But many people in many places could put filters to good use in avoiding the problems of bottles.

Luckily the tap water here in New Hampshire tastes ok. I had definitely read that bottled water is no more healthy - and after seeing the segment on Penn and Teller's Bullshit where they actually tested these claims, I was sold. I think a lot of bottled water tastes awful anyway. Doesn't Dasani taste like perhaps it could be the leftover runoff from the Coca-Cola bottling?

I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota drinking Lake Superior water - the best ever - now I live in Minneapolis & drink Mississippi river water - filtered through a picture filter - lots of chorine taste to get rid of - use one at work also - someday will have a reverse osmosis filter - friend at work has one at home & brings in his own drinking water everyday from home

As a kid, I remember that my parents would have the darndest time getting me to drink water. "It tastes dusty!" I'd say or, "It tastes like it's got soap in it or something..." and I couldn't drink it. It actually made my mouth MORE dry if I drank it. If we went to a mall or somewhere where there were water fountains with filtered water, I'd have to stop at every single fountain and guzzle the water. My parents never understood. I think it's a lot of the reason why I was always overweight as a kid. (a lifetime of not satisfying my constant thirst resulted in me trying to get my moisture through food) Anyway, now I filter my water from the tap. I have a bottle that I carry with me to work and use their reverse osmosis filter there, too. I drink water all the time, to the exclusion of all else.

What I'm trying to say is: A lot of us stopped drinking tap water because it was, indeed, yucky. It's gross. Filled with chlorine and flouride (do a research paper on Flouride sometime! It doesn't actually help your teeth.) or sometimes even chloride, which is worse 'cause it won't evaporate out of the water. There's a reason we have to treat tap water before fish can live in it!

I'm getting thirsty just thinking about this.

17 million barrels of oil was used last year to make the plastic bottles used for American water consumption producing 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. 86% become garbage or litter.

There is a better way! If you don't like, or are worried about, tap water, but want to do your part for the environment MAKE YOUR OWN WATER. A Xziex Atmospheric Water Generator can make up to 5 gallons of pure drinking water a day for as little as $.08 a gallon.

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There is never a need for replacement or delivery of pricey water jugs, and you can produce the world’s purist water on standard 110-volt power. No oil used to make the plastic bottles or distribute them, no waste in our landfill.

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Hi,

As said in this blog.Therefore it’s more than a wise idea to drink tap water instead. Sure, films like ‘Erin Brockovich’ and other scandals aren’t the best promotion for tap water. But keep in mind that tap water is one of the best regulated beverages you can think of.

Eddy

I'm excitedly waiting all the changes in technology and availability of vehicles in the near future!!!

here in alaska us , tap water tastes really good

I cycled and camped in Scotland this year for a week in the highlands.
All the water I drank came from small streams and the odd river. Some had a slightly bitter taster, and was a little darker in colour to tap, but I had NO ill efects, it was no worse than tap water.
During the day I drank it from the stream, at night I did boil it and made tea with it
In fact, MOST highlanders drink water from streams, or burns ALL the time.
--Bottled water, -- who the hell needs that.