If You Drink Bottled Water, You're a Loser

Got your attention, now? Very good, because the naked bottled water facts should make you feel a bit foolish if you frequently buy bottled water.

I know I'm being a bit provocative but if you pick up bottled water and do a comparison of bottled water vs. tap water vs. filtered water you're going to feel like the fool who purchased the foot-long hot dog with eight inches missing in the center

So, just ask yourself this question. Why are you buying bottled water?

Here are your potential replies:

1) It's safer and healthier than tap water

When comparing bottled water vs. tap water, well, that's just one of the fairy tales accepted as a fact about bottled water.

Here's what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the USA stated concerning the safety of bottled water:

Companies that market bottled water as being safer than kitchen water are fooling the consuming public.

In fact, , there are no government regulations for bottled water that require it be safer than tap water. Governmental regs for tap water are in place and usually assure some degree of quality in the available faucet water.

So, when deciding upon buying bottled water vs. tap water, choosing tap may be a wiser choice.

2) Oh, I drink bottled water that's been purified

Most bottled water is not purified. In contrast, city tap water is filtered and disinfected.

But if you happen to be getting bottled water that is filtered, good for you. If it's the stuff I occasionally go for, I bet the cost is even steeper than the cheaper bottled water.

But there's still a problem. Filtration is not all equal. High end filters get rid of the live, very life-threatening contaminants, the inert, highly toxic metals, extremely small pollutants and the sediment that affects taste and quality of the water.

There are cheaper water purifiers that fundamentally get rid of larger sedimentary particles that slightly discolor water but really do little else. Most commercially filtered water tends to improve water on the cheap.

3) Since it's a food product, there are government standards that assure its quality

Nope, not really. In fact, a strategy employed by bottled water companies is to sell its water inside the state that it's bottled in so that federal laws do not apply.

In fact, between 2/3 to 3/4 of the bottled water sold is in the state it's bottled in. Most likely you are using water with no attached federal regulations to maintain its safety.

4) It's better than the usual drinks sold at the store

Well, that's a tricky one. Its better than the extremely bad drinks. You know the colas, mile-high iced teas and artificial fruit drinks that are in lots of kid's lunch bags.

But, if you went to a health food store, you can likely purchase some fresh fruit/veggie juice, or a sprout-based beverage, really healthy water and so on. I will admit, that it might cost an awful lot but what's your health worth to you?

5) It's pretty inexpensive

Compared to what? Some designer drink, maybe. Not when comparing bottled water vs. tap water that is filtered ($1 - $2 vs. 9 cents) But it's about the same cost as the soft drinks that hog up store shelves.

To me, this is one of the most puzzling angles of the bottled water market.

We are grateful that we are being offered what is basically free tap water for a dollar or so per bottle. Think of it. If you bought a bottle on most days and 2 bottles or bigger ones on days that you need more, you would be paying between $300 - $700 per year on water that is less healthy than faucet water.

6) It's convenient

Oh, spare me. I've done the figures on this because, like you, my time is very important.

It takes me a minute to fill up my water bottle with filtered water from my faucet. I can even make a sandwich in just a few minutes. That is much easier and quicker than the time needed to sprint to the deli, maybe wait on a noon lunch line, order and/or pay for my water and/or lunch.

7) I have no better option to bottled water

Again, if you are most likely to chug cola, yes. But you don't have to have the bottled water from the store when you could just bottle your own filtered water in a reusable bottle.

8)Hey, at least it forces me to drink the necessary amount of water I should drink every day

Finally, I agree with you, mostly. Hey, if it's a choice between drinking nothing and getting dehydration or chugging expensive, land polluting, minimally safe bottled water, well you should go ahead and get a container of water.

This should only happen occasionally. For example, if I'm working out in warm weather and there's no water fountain nearby, I'll just go and get a bottle of water from wherever.

Hey, it's either that or endure the more serious consequences of dehydration in warm weather. That could lead to all kinds of physical crises that must be avoided at all costs.

And, I'll give you credit because at least you didn't say that it's "Green." That, I'm certain, never crossed your mind. Right?

9) It's green right?

No and, this is one of the bottled water facts we haven't delved into that you should know about. Drinking bottled water causes an incredible amount of pollution.

In fact, about a million plastic bottles are disposed of daily, it is one of the major culprits when it comes to pollution.

Imagine, what literally a hundred million empty plastic water bottles looks like, going straight direct for the landfill. You know, generally the fill that is not recycle-ready since many water bottles are disposed of in all-purpose wastebaskets along with non-recyclables.

So, if for no other reason, the pollution that follows from this mega consumption of drinking bottled water should lead us to alternatives.

Ok, so perhaps those of you buying bottled water from the store aren't exactly losers but I truly hope this article encourages you to act on the real bottled water facts and stop getting bottled water which has serious drawbacks and few virtues.