NYT editorial: In Praise of Tap Water ("some of the best public water supplies in the world")

In Praise of Tap Water
Published: August 1, 2007

On the streets of New York or Denver or San Mateo this summer, it seems the telltale cap of a water bottle is sticking out of every other satchel. Americans are increasingly thirsty for what is billed as the healthiest, and often most expensive, water on the grocery shelf. But this country has some of the best public water supplies in the world. Instead of consuming four billion gallons of water a year in individual-sized bottles, we need to start thinking about what all those bottles are doing to the planet’s health.

Here are the hard, dry facts: Yes, drinking water is a good thing, far better than buying soft drinks, or liquid candy, as nutritionists like to call it. And almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands. Meanwhile, if you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost about 49 cents.

Next, there’s the environment. Water bottles, like other containers, are made from natural gas and petroleum. The Earth Policy Institute in Washington has estimated that it takes about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make the water bottles Americans use each year. That could fuel 100,000 cars a year instead. And, only about 23 percent of those bottles are recycled, in part because water bottles are often not included in local redemption plans that accept beer and soda cans. Add in the substantial amount of fuel used in transporting water, which is extremely heavy, and the impact on the environment is anything but refreshing.

Tap water may now be the equal of bottled water, but that could change. The more the wealthy opt out of drinking tap water, the less political support there will be for investing in maintaining America’s public water supply. That would be a serious loss. Access to cheap, clean water is basic to the nation’s health....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/opinion/01wed2.html?em&ex=1186113600&en=432221bec0ac39fb&ei=5087%0A

with a wonderful water supply would want to buy bottled water. I lived in Corpus Christi TX in the mid-1080's when the water supply was muddy, and everyone had bottle water. When I moved to Austin and started getting lake water, there was no need for the bottled stuff. Why bother with the waste of plastic, etc?

A nearby BP refinery is pumping ammonia and mercury (and who knows what else) into Lake Michigan.
Every summer the beaches are shut down for days as a time as a result of raw sewage pumped by Milwaukee and surrounding communities.
Lake Michigan supplies water to nearly every household within 30 miles of Chicago. (except in the few remaining unincorporated areas)
Thanks to Indiana and Wisconsin for peeing in the pool.

there were other problems with Chicago's water. That's a shame.

Anybody who buys water in a bottle is very likely to be a dumbshit.

I use filtration religiously, but that's not the point. Water safety isn't the only consideration of every human being on the planet.

so that's a pretty fucking stupid consideration. It has no food value, obviously, its only physiological function is as a solvent. I guess I don't understand your question.
:eyes:

Frankly, when did most of any water, bottled water included, turn into pure water?

Do you actually drink water?

Are you a robot?

If none of these questions apply, please ignore.