View Full Version : Bottled water
SouthernN'Proud
2/08/06, 10:42am
In our ever-increasing skepticism, I often wonder about this phenomenon. I know that once I was in Charlotte NC and bought a bottle of water to use in medical equipment that cannot use tap water. I noticed on the label that it was bottled "from the municipal water supply" of my very own hometown!
News story about water (http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20060204/wl_oneworld/45361268291139089785;_ylt=AgBC8xr3gs31shiAH5ddBces 0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-)
So why do we do it?
I only buy it when I'm driving and out of whiskey.
I buy it on road trips when I'm thirsty and we have a couple of gallons in the cupboard for WWIII.
greenfreak
2/08/06, 11:05am
I drink at least two liters of "bottled" water daily. I reuse the same bottle and fill it up from the water dispenser at work. We have Britta water filters at home and reuse plastic bottles there too. If I know I'm going out for a while, I'll fill up a bottle from the filter and take it with me. When I'm done with the bottle, I recycle it.
If people would stop contaminating their ground water by dumping their crap down sewer drains and in the ocean or bombing their lawns and plants with chemicals, maybe our drinking water would taste better and be healthier. But we would find another way to contaminate it, I'm sure.
SouthernN'Proud
2/08/06, 11:41am
OK, fair enough.
But what about the portion of the article dealing with cost effectiveness to "clean up our act" as opposed to subsidizing a billion-dollar per year industry?
dealing with cost effectiveness to "clean up our act" as opposed to subsidizing a billion-dollar per year industryi think you answered your own question there.
personally, i dont like the taste of the tap water around here. even after filtering it, it still tastes metallic.
SouthernN'Proud
2/08/06, 11:58am
Don't get me wrong. I'm not against bottled water; I'm just curious about some things.
From the article:
At up to $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline in the United States.
For a fraction of that sum, everyone on the planet could have safe drinking water and proper sanitation, the Washington, D.C.-based organization said this week.
More fossil fuels are used in packaging the water. Most water bottles are made with polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic derived from crude oil. ''Making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year,'' Arnold said.
Once it has been emptied, the bottle must be dumped. According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86 percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter. Incinerating used bottles produces toxic byproducts such as chlorine gas and ash containing heavy metals tied to a host of human and animal health problems. Buried water bottles can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
Of the bottles deposited for recycling in 2004, the United States exported roughly 40 percent to destinations as far away as China--meaning that even more fossil fuels were burned in the process.
So does this, in your minds, fall into the catagory of yet more American self-centered conspicuous consumption, or is it a justified "necessary evil", or is it a legitimate, smart move by health conscious individuals? Again, I don't really care either way, just curious. Call it SnP keeping his finger on the pulse of the American consumer. :D
The people have been sold into believing that tap water is not as healthy as bottled. The convenience factor works, to a point. Refill what you have (my wife washes & refills several bottle a day) instead of purchasing new if you want portable. Very few actually go to the trouble. I ask my wife & kid why they don't just get a glass & they just shrug. I don't get it. It's overpriced & many of the nutrients of "natural" water that comes thru the tap has been filtered out, making botled water less healthy.
greenfreak
2/08/06, 12:34pm
I don't think it's just one, it's more than that. It started out being a necessary evil, something I was exposed to in Florida over 10 years ago. The water down there was atrocious to drink, bathe in, etc. So much worse than NY. At the time, I drank NY water out of the tap without a second thought.
But as the industry grew, I started buying Poland Spring because it was a good alternative to soda or iced tea. I don't like carbonation and was trying to cut down on sugar. If I could buy bottled NY water, I would have too.
Then Rusty moved in with me and brought his Britta water filter with him. He agrees that Long Island tap tastes better than Brooklyn tap but we both agree that Britta tastes better than both.
So for me, it's not that I believe I'm doing something wonderful for the environment or that it's so much healthier than tap. It has everything to do with taste and avoiding sugar/caffeine.
Everyone has a level that they're willing to live with in regards to not furthering the destruction of the environment. You already know my thoughts on pesticides/insecticides and the lengths I'm willing to go to improve that situation on my little postage stamp of a lawn. I'm doing my small part to reduce/reuse/recycle my plastics and metals and find uses for non-biodegradable things like styrofoam that already exist instead of throwing them away.
It's all about what people choose to care about. I have no faith that the millions of largely lazy Americans will take heed and do something about it like reduce their consumption or learn if their drinking water is indeed safe to drink.
unclehobart
2/08/06, 01:30pm
The basic difference of home tap water and municipal bottled water is that the stuff going into bottles is coming right out of the waterworks instead of going through 15 miles of 100 year old pipes. Someone living close to the plant would see no difference... but Spot with his miles of rust and sludge pipes would see 10 fold difference.
I was exposed to in Florida over 10 years ago. The water down there was atrocious to drink,
The water near Cape Canaveral tasted like dirt. Literally. Worse stuff I've ever had & I'm from the desert.
Professur
2/08/06, 02:58pm
The worst water I've encountered was Stone mountain park. It clogged the trailer's flow-through filter in minutes. Never seen the like, but people all about us were using it. He hit the nearest Krogers and bought a supply. One big bottle of drinking (read tap) water for cooking, and one of spring water for drinking.
SouthernN'Proud
2/08/06, 03:13pm
You're at a place called Stone Mountain, and you marvel that the minerals in the water clog a filter.
Tourist. :lloyd:
Professur
2/08/06, 03:18pm
You're at a place called Stone Mountain, and you marvel that the minerals in the water clog a filter.
Tourist. :lloyd:
Ab-so-fucking-lutely. I was pissed off too, because I'd asked after the water quality and they'd said it was drinkable. Otherwise I'd have installed the 2 stage.
they'd said it was drinkable.
OPINION
never take the word of a native...they've grown accustomed.
unclehobart
2/08/06, 03:24pm
I've no idea why it would be so bad. It's only a skip outside of the greater metro Atlanta area. I can only think that possibly certain sections of the park were fed by wells tapped into bad watersheds.
SouthernN'Proud
2/08/06, 03:25pm
Ab-so-fucking-lutely. I was pissed off too, because I'd asked after the water quality and they'd said it was drinkable. Otherwise I'd have installed the 2 stage.
It is drinkable. Especially when compared to Canadian whiskey.
The worst American water I've tasted came from my Dad's hometown, Kewanee, IL. It's radioactive!
http://home.earthlink.net/~amylex/Resources/photos/kewanee/kewWater.jpg
Professur
2/08/06, 03:28pm
There were three large hotels with miles of the campground, and I can't see hotels settling for the water quality we had. Personally, I think it may have been a local pump or pipe that was contaminating it. But when the water was still translucent with suspension after 3 minutes .....
The water in Louisiana was reddish brown...rather scary. I bought water by the gallon then.
The water in Louisiana was reddish brown...rather scary. I bought water by the gallon then.
mmmm, minerals
I drink at least two liters of "bottled" water daily. I reuse the same bottle and fill it up from the water dispenser at work. We have Britta water filters at home and reuse plastic bottles there too. If I know I'm going out for a while, I'll fill up a bottle from the filter and take it with me. When I'm done with the bottle, I recycle it.
If people would stop contaminating their ground water by dumping their crap down sewer drains and in the ocean or bombing their lawns and plants with chemicals, maybe our drinking water would taste better and be healthier. But we would find another way to contaminate it, I'm sure.
If you're talking about reusing water bottles that you bought with water in them then I suggest against it. The plastic in those begin to break down as soon as they're opened (which is why, aside from the fish tank taste) it's a bad idea to drink a bottle of spring water that's been open for a few days...the more you reuse the bottles the more broken down plastic is getting into your system. I suggest you invest in a good brita or nalgene water bottle for each of you, the plastic in those is designed to not break down.
Is breaking-down plastic the reason bottled water often has an expiration date?
we have a couple of gallons in the cupboard for WWIII.
That should last ya.
Is breaking-down plastic the reason bottled water often has an expiration date?
It very well could be yes. I would assume that it is possible for the plastic to break down before it's open but the process is accelerated once the bottle is open.
Professur
2/08/06, 06:03pm
I'd be interested in knowing how the outside of the bottle doesn't break down, if the inside does.
I'd be interested in knowing how the outside of the bottle doesn't break down, if the inside does.
The outside isn't exposed water??
Water without chlorine (http://www.castlebar.ie/news/chlorine.shtml) in a non sterile environment.
Professur
2/08/06, 06:10pm
Sure it is. That's why superglue sets. Atmospheric humidity. But so's the inside. It can't be a reaction to only the air since there's air in the bottle already too. So if it's not the air, and it's not the water, what's the cause?
ekahs retsam
2/08/06, 06:13pm
after visiting the water treatment plant for an Ecology class i find drinking municipal tap water disturbing but if I’m thirsty i'll drink it.
give me distilled well water!!!
That should last ya.
:laugh5: No one has that many gallons...but 3 should be enough until we can set up a dew collector or find an uncontaminated natural supply or until the radiation kills us.
after visiting the water treatment plant for an Ecology class i find drinking municipal tap water disturbing but if I’m thirsty i'll drink it.
give me distilled well water!!!
Funny, after visiting our treatment plant here in hamilton I feel BETTER drinking the water...their system is one of the few using activated carbon (as in a brita filter) instead of whatever most use...I wanna say charchoal...I can't stand the Brampton water but have no issue with Hamilton water.
Professur
2/08/06, 06:24pm
3 gallons will last 4 people about a day. Add in another couple of gallons from your toilet tanks, .... I sure hope you've got that dew collector ready to go, coz last time I checked, it takes a fair bit of time for it to produce a mere glass. Not to mention that dew and rain would be contaminated right off the bat.
Prof...about the break down of the bottles...
http://www.ghchealth.com/people-who-frequently-reuse-their-water-bottles-may-be-risking-their-health.html
Prof and obtuse a nice combo
how about this?
Duh ya know why mi reverse Osmosis systems sez
iffin' ya don't use any water fer 30 days run duh tank til empty
so can ya get a clue Y thar might be a nneed fer an expiration date?
Professur
2/08/06, 06:37pm
Prof and obtuse a nice combo
how about this?
Duh ya know why mi reverse Osmosis systems sez
iffin' ya don't use any water fer 30 days run duh tank til empty
so can ya get a clue Y thar might be a nneed fer an expiration date?
Can I get a translation on this please? Fraid I don't have a good grasp of gibberish.
Professur
2/08/06, 06:40pm
Prof...about the break down of the bottles...
http://www.ghchealth.com/people-who-frequently-reuse-their-water-bottles-may-be-risking-their-health.html
Sunshine, did you actually read that article you linked to? The only thing it says about the plastic is that it's gonna break down over time. Doesn't say anything about it being safe until it's openned.
Sunshine, did you actually read that article you linked to? The only thing it says about the plastic is that it's gonna break down over time. Doesn't say anything about it being safe until it's openned.
Says it's good for one use...once you open it bacteria starts to grow...and if you wash the bottles to get rid of the bacteria you accelerate the process of it breaking down. If you read one of my posts above I said that they will probably break down over time regardless hence the expiry date...but it's faster once it's opened (that is where I was mistaken...it's the washing that accelerates the breakdown but without washing you have bacteria so it's lose lose situation if you're reusing)
You asked how they break down faster if you're reusing them than before they're opened...and that articles answers that...because people wash them...
It is drinkable. Especially when compared to Canadian whiskey.
Oh now you have done it!
Crown Royal is my second best friend! He has been by my side many nights! It threw up with me, got smashed around a bit with me, and most of all... it stood beside me when I made an ass of my self, over and over again!
Don't even think of putting down my very best friend, Morgan!
The capt'n doesn't like that, and he has a very sharp hook!
Oh now you have done it!
Crown Royal is my second best friend! He has been by my side many nights! It threw up with me, got smashed around a bit with me, and most of all... it stood beside me when I made an ass of my self, over and over again!
Don't even think of putting down my very best friend, Morgan!
The capt'n doesn't like that, and he has a very sharp hook!
Crown Royal didn't throw up WITH you...Crown Royal was thrown up BY you :p Infact, I'd go so far as to say he probably CAUSED you to throw up.
Crown Royal didn't throw up WITH you...Crown Royal was thrown up BY you :p Infact, I'd go so far as to say he probably CAUSED you to throw up.
Shhh! ;)
greenfreak
2/08/06, 09:44pm
This is not the first time I've heard this about plastic. This article addresses the drinking water scenario (spring vs. tap) and the danger of plastics:
http://www.jhsph.edu/PublicHealthNews/articles/Halden_dioxins.html
And this is what Snopes says about the subject:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/petbottles.asp
Gato_Solo
2/10/06, 11:14am
When I was a child, I would drink tap water. Hell...sometimes I'd drink out of the neighbor's garden hose. I still drink tap water. At home, anyway. Here, I drink bottled. No other source is authorized. :shrug:
I still drink out of the hose...:shrug:
But the water in Brampton in the summer (only time I live there) stinks...only been like that the last 5 years or so though...
ekahs retsam
2/10/06, 04:49pm
nothing says, "fun in the summer" like garden hose water on a hot day :wink2:
nothing says, "fun in the summer" like garden hose water on a hot day :wink2:
I dare you to do that in Phoenix, in July, during the day
;) Winky
I dare you to do that in Phoenix, in July, during the day
;) Winky
He's going to look pretty funny with a steamed face. :lloyd:
Here, I drink bottled. No other source is authorized. :shrug:
Still wanna know 'where' here is...
It's amazing how many people don't understand "let it run for a minute" :rofl3:
It's amazing how many people don't understand "let it run for a minute" :rofl3:
Even people who have lived there a while.
especially them...dumbasses
Gato_Solo
3/12/06, 12:18pm
Still wanna know 'where' here is...
Baghdad. :lloyd:
personally i think everyone should stop buying bottled water. Then go purchase ro systems, filters, and softeners. (brand name MacClean, Aquapure only)
:)
Gato_Solo
3/14/06, 02:16am
personally i think everyone should stop buying bottled water. Then go purchase ro systems, filters, and softeners. (brand name MacClean, Aquapure only)
:)
What? Not Culligan (http://www.culligan.com/explore.cfm/welcometoculligan)?
BTW...I've never heard of MacClean.
That's because MacClean doesn't have an annoying commercial & isn't sold retail.
WHY, WHY, WHY IS CULLIGAN IN THE FUCKING WHITE PAGES?!?!?!?!? White pages are for residential! The yellow pages are for business listings! But they always say, "HEY CULLIGAN MAN! He's in the white pages" at the end of their commercials.
On a semi-related note, it took me forever to figure out the secret to the faucet suspended in midair at the Culligan display at the fair. One day, I stick my finger in the stream of water coming down, and my finger hit the clear plastic pipe in the middle.
Slim Pickens
3/14/06, 01:07pm
The water in Louisiana was reddish brown...rather scary. I bought water by the gallon then.
*still buys water by the gallon
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