Bottled water, a natural resource taxing the world's ecosystem

[Postmanx]

Story

"Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy," according to Emily Arnold, author of the study published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based environmental group.

Once the water is consumed, disposing the plastic bottles poses an environmental risk. The study, citing the Container Recycling Institute, said that 86 percent of plastic water bottles in the United States end up as garbage and those buried can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.

In addition, some 40 percent of the PET bottles deposited for recycling in the United States in 2004 ended up being shipped to China.

The study warned that the rapid growth in the industry has also ironically led to water shortages in some areas, including India where bottling of Dasani water and other drinks by the Coca-Cola company has caused shortages in more than 50 villages.

[genie_weenie]

1. I don't trust tap water anymore...

Check your hometown tap water

http://www.ewg.org/sites/tapwater/

Plus, my home base for the last 5 years (Camp Lejeune NC) the water table is so bad and loaded with run off chemicals, heavy metals, low grade radioactive materials; It's caused a several sigma spike in some childhood birth defects.

Here's a link or two and a tagline:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune /

http://www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcpolicy/5sciepane...

"Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water and Specific Birth Defects and Childhood Cancers at United States Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina," was begun in Spring 2005.

[cali]

4. Yikes, your water is scary.

I feel incredibly lucky. My town water comes from a gravity fed spring. It is the best tasting water, and tests well.

[Lorien]

7. Brita filters work quite well

our tap water tastes terrible, but my Brita filter makes it taste as good as any bottled water-and I suspect that once it's filtered it's just as safe. I keep a few bottles from bottled water around and just keep refilling them; cuts down on pollution and certainly costs less.

[YOY]

13. Same here. Cost effective and reusable

n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

40. Another satisfied Brita user

:-)

[plasticsundance]

15. Yep ... I have a water purifier on my tap

I have to fill gallon jugs to take to work, but it is cheaper. I just reuse the same recycle #5 plastic jugs over and over.

[genie_weenie]

21. I've heard reusing water bottles leads to germ growth...

it also depends on where you live, I for one wouldn't want to use ground well water from near the nevada nuclear testing grounds...

[plasticsundance]

25. Wouldn't this be true of anything unwashed?

[brentspeak]

42. What about lead?

Does it filter out heavy metals? I'd kind of tired of throwing out empty plastic gallon water jugs, so I'm considering a filter.

[Lorien]

78. Yes, as do Pur filters and water systems.

Says it removes or significantly reduces:
# Heavy Metals (Lead, Mercury)
# Chlorine and Chlorination By-Products (TTHMs)
# Microbial Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
# Agricultural Pollutants (such as pesticides)
# Industrial Pollutants (such as gasoline additives and asbestos)

[Centered]

71. I am so glad I'm not the only one.

The people at work look at me like I'm crazy when I refill my plastic water bottles. I used to have a brita filter but now I just have a 5 gal water cooler in my apartment and I pick up the water from the grocery store.

[lindisfarne]

51. The vast majority of tap water is safe, and safer than the majority of

bottled waters. Laws concerning tap water quality are strict. Unless bottled waters cross state lines, certain federal laws concerning water quality don't apply.

Except in extremely rare cases, tap water supplied by a municipality is going to be safe - I do use a brita water filter as my water is hard and it makes it taste much better. You can also get data on tap water quality from the relevant municipal organization.

See also:
http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp
(many more concerning facts at that site than i posted below

More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly. Sales have tripled in the past 10 years, to about $4 billion a year. This sales bonanza has been fueled by ubiquitous ads picturing towering mountains, pristine glaciers, and crystal-clear springs nestled in untouched forests yielding absolutely pure water. But is the marketing image of total purity accurate? Also, are rules for bottled water stricter than those for tap water?

Not exactly. No one should assume that just because he or she purchases water in a bottle that it is necessarily any better regulated, purer, or safer than most tap water. NRDC has completed a four-year study of the bottled water industry, including its bacterial and chemical contamination problems. We have conducted a review of available information on bottled water and its sources, an in-depth assessment of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and all 50 states' programs governing bottled water safety, and an analysis of government and academic bottled water testing results. We have compared FDA's bottled water rules with certain international bottled water standards and with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that apply to piped tap water supplied by public water systems. In addition, NRDC commissioned independent lab testing of more than 1,000 bottles of 103 types of bottled water from many parts of the country (California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas). Our conclusions and recommendations follow.

<SNIP>
Our "snapshot" testing of more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of water by three independent labs found that most bottled water tested was of good quality, but some brands' quality was spotty. About one third of the bottled waters we tested contained significant contamination (i.e., levels of chemical or bacterial contaminants exceeding those allowed under a state or industry standard or guideline) in at least one test. This is the most comprehensive independent testing of bottled water in the United States that is publicly available. Moreover, NRDC contracted with an independent data verification firm to confirm the accuracy of our positive test results. Still, the testing was limited. The labs tested most waters for about half of the drinking water contaminants regulated by FDA (to control costs). <snip>

In sum, approximately one third of the tested waters (34 of 103 waters, or 33 percent) violated an enforceable state standard or exceeded microbiological-purity guidelines, or both, in at least one sample. We were unable to test for many microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, because the logistics and cost of testing for them post-bottling were beyond our means.

[genie_weenie]

54. I don't think anybody reads responses

this isn't a slam on you. It's just as I read some of the responses, they don't seem to get what I'm saying, there are many differnt types of bottled water (spring, distilled, ozymosis, purified, flurodated, whatever) but I didn't trust the tap water at Lejeune from my previous post and additionally, I don't have faith in filters or bottled water.

[Xithras]

68. My hometown water has 31 detectable pollutants, 3 are beyond satefy limits

Half of them are naturally occurring, and the other half are from 150 years of mining and agricultural runoff. Where I live, the tap water can actually give you cancer.

So yes, I drink bottled water.

[genie_weenie]

69. well that blows

[newblewtoo]

75. Nice link

Thank you for the link, I knew our water was bad but that site told me just how bad it really is. We have used a Britta filter for years, even had to put a filter on the line to the ice maker. Ice is supposed to be clear!!

Again, thanks for the link.

[lapfog_1]

2. after peak oil

there will be "peak water" (we consume more fresh water than can be collected and/or delivered to where it's needed).

Global Climate change will only make this worse.

too many people chasing too few resources.

[KittyWampus]

61. Actually, there's enough water. It's a matter of distribution & conservati

conservation.

It's more accurate to say that "there's not enough water to keep using it as we are now".

[Ben Ceremos]

70. The source of our problems is

peak human population. That's why the rush to war, to decrease the user group for resources and to consolidate power and wealth so that the remaining rich will inherit the earth. More proof that the stories of the Christian messiah are a load of bunk...As Frank Zappa PBUH said, "The meek shall inherit nothing."

[Sequoia]

3. Bring back the "canteen"

People are idiots.



One thing that always bugged me in those movies with people walking across the desert or somewhere and once they finished their water ALWAYS threw away their canteen. So if they came upon some water they'd have nothing to put it into. That is my 2 cents.

[daleo]

9. One of those stupid movie conventions

You're right, it isn't like reducing the weight would make much difference to one's prospects for survival, and you would regret it if you came across some water later.

I guess it just looks dramatic.

[uppityperson]

12. Gives those buzzards another clue to find them.

Or maybe like Hansel and Gretel, once they find water they can follow the trail of tossed away canteens back home?

[jpgray]

50. Another good one is how they always spill a bit when drinking the last bit

I would slap the shit out of anyone who pulled that if we were stranded in the desert. Drink properly!

[lovuian]

5. Water systems are not healthy... Recycle all the bottles

this is just a smoke screen....... They would have us drink the community water and poison ourselves!!!

[henslee]

6. With Coke and Pepsi in the bottled water business came the

rolling back of ground water contamination clean up in CA. The goal is to make CA as dependent on bottled water as Mexico where no one drinks the water. I believe Dasani is pepsi's brand of water.

[Divine Discontent]

8. HENSLEE!!!!

great post... you gotta harp on this more. great thought, please write the appropriate congress people, you may very well spike a renewed interest in fixing this horrible situation.

[henslee]

10. Here's the ABC's of CA ground water contamination from Feinstein's site...

http://www.senate.gov/~feinstein/mtbe.html

MTBE is a contaminant that is "frequent" and "widespread," impacting at least 10,000 sites in California, according to a June 1998 Lawrence Livermore study. I have with me here today a map of my state showing the extent of contamination all across California. The San Francisco Examiner on December 14, 1998 called it "a ticking time bomb."

Why is MTBE so objectionable?

Unlike other components of gasoline, MTBE does not biodegrade. MTBE is difficult and expensive to get out of the water. It costs around $1 million to clean up one well in California and $5 million to clean up a reservoir. MTBE has a bad taste and odor. MTBE travels quickly through soil and gravel. Lake Tahoe officials have told me that "out-of-control" MTBE plumes move one to nine feet per day, where it is now 1,000 feet from the lake.

Where does it come from?

MTBE comes from gasoline -- from leaking underground storage tanks, from pipelines, from motorboat engine discharges and exhausts, from spills and leaks at gasoline stations, from automobile accidents, from stormwater runoff and sometimes from sources unknown.

A June 13, 1997 Oakland Tribune article reported that MTBE levels in the air around the San Francisco Bay area "have risen dramatically," quoting Bay Area Air Quality Management officials who said that MTBE detections in the air grew...

[Karenina]

28. 60 Minutes, 6 years ago...

http://www.pei.org/FRD/60_Minutes_Transcript.htm

Date January 16, 2000 ~ Time 07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Station CBS-TV
Program 60 Minutes

President George Bush: (Clip from file video) Every city in America should have clean air. And with this legislation I firmly believe we will.

(Visual of countryside; smog; gasoline pumps with close-up of labels: Contains MTBE; gas station; gas pump; person replacing cap on fuel tank with close-up of gas spill on ground)

Steve Kroft, co-host:

The only trouble with that legislation is that what it required us to do to clean up our air is now polluting our water. And the culprit is something called MTBE, a chemical that the oil companies say they have no choice but to add to their gasoline. Even the government now says that we're facing a national crisis if something isn't done to stop MTBE from leaking into our drinking water.

Have there been studies done on the health effects of MTBE in the drinking water?

Bob Perciasepe (Assistant Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency): Not enough. Not enough. But...

Kroft: But any? I mean, have any been done?

Perciasepe: I'm not aware of any specific studies.

Dr. Bernard Goldstein (Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute): The problem is, how do you expose one hundred million people to a chemical which you have not adequately tested for its toxicity?

Kroft: And that's what's happened?

Goldstein: That's what's happened.

Kroft: MTBE is shorthand for a chemical called methyl tertiary butyl ether. If you don't know about it yet, you will. It's a gasoline additive that is contaminating drinking water from Maine to California and has been called the biggest environmental crisis of the next decade. How did MTBE end up in gasoline? Well, ten years ago, Congress told the oil companies to put it there, either MTBE or some other oxygenate that would make gasoline burn cleaner. It was supposed to clean up the air. But now MTBE is turning up in lakes and underground aquifers, and in twenty percent of the nation's urban wells, forcing some cities to shut down local water supplies. It seems to be turning up wherever people look for it. And no one was even looking for it until it turned up in Santa Monica, California, a few years ago.


More at link

[Critters2]

14. Dasani is Coca-cola's H20 brand

Aquafina is Pepsico's bottled water.

Me, I have two Brita filter pitchers. All the water I drink, or what my pets drink, goes through one of the filters before we drink. I have some water bottles I reuse for carrying water with me.

Frankly, the idea that some bottled water is from India does not inspire confidence. I mean, maybe they have great water in India, but that's not the impression I have.

[Lance_Boyle]

16. ridiculous

No one drinks the water in Mexico? Nonsense. Visitors tend to shy away from it because the flora are foreign to their systems, and as a result they tend to get the digestive nasties from it. Natives who have consumed it all along (and long-term visitors once their immune systems catch on) have no problem with Mexican water.

[henslee]

18. My error. But. Mexicans transplanted to S. CA do not drink the water...

hence the proliferation of small localized stores that just sell purified water... which they purify right there. Even the lowest on the economic rung do not trust the water.

[Lance_Boyle]

22. Same thing as long-term visitors to Mexico.

If they would suffer the indiginities of "California's revenge" upon first exposing their intestinal tracts to the foreign (to them) flora in CA water, their immune systems would adapt. That said, there often are compelling reasons to avoid the unpleasantries of that adjustment period, aside from the fact that nobody likes the squirts. Dehydration and its attendant risks being chief among them. But long-term reliance on bottled water is a horribly uneconomical solution, except to the bottlers. ;-)

[Quakerfriend]

11. Crazy thing is- Bottled water is not much safer than tap.

These companies are making a mint on this 'fad'!! And, in order to keep their corperations profits they make sure that the laws governing the purity of bottled water REMAIN LAX!

Distilled water is MUCH, MUCH safer!

[Lance_Boyle]

19. Bottled water *IS* tap water

It's just tap water (or well water) from somewhere else.

Distilled water is *not* safer, though - drinking distilled water exclusively is actually UNsafe because it leaches minerals from your body through osmosis. The body expects there to be mineral content in water. Deionized or distilled water produces the whole osmotic "moving from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration" thing, depriving your body not only of the minerals it expects from the water, but also of the minerals it already has in it.

[rodeodance]

35. my bottled water is Sprig water--made from the water of the Big

Eddy springs.

[phusion]

23. I heard that Dasani

is the same water that Coca Cola uses to make their soda...They just bottle it up and charge exorbitant prices for it. :eyes:

[cally]

24. YES!!! The standards for bottled water are often more lax

than tap water. It is not better for you. I installed a filter on our kitchen sink for drinking water. I'm still guilty of buying bottled water when I'm out but I'm trying to plan ahead more often.

[redqueen]

17. I use a Pur filter on my facuet, and refill the plastic bottles.

No waste and it tastes fine. :)

[hopein08]

20. I hate to burst your bubble...or bottle as the case may be...

but I heard a report on some news show about a study that stated that it is not a good idea to refill plastic bottles unless they are washed out. It was a little while ago so I unfortunately do not have a link. But, as I remember (and I'm only as good as that), the report stated that plastic bottles have a tendency to develop bacteria, especially if some time elapses between the bottle being emptied and refilled. I believe the recommendation was either to get new bottles or put your filtered water into a sports bottle that you can wash.

[glitch]

64. I've been drinking tap out of the same plastic water bottles for years.

I rinse them out sometimes. No worries. Seattle has the best tasting water in the world, IMO, and when I put it through Brita it doesn't taste as good.
I don't know what it filters that tastes good, but I hardly ever use it. :silly:

[namvet73]

45. I use a "PUR" water filter also..

Our tap water tastes like crap. A tap filter is a lot cheaper and tastes every bit as good as bottled water. Although the water tastes like crap, I think it's quite safe without the filter. It's just a preference for us.

You do need to wipe the end with soap periodically as it can get scuzzy. The filters here each last about three months with two of us and 4 cats. We use it for all cooking. tea and coffee just for flavor. One filter is good for about 100 gallons of water. That's about $15 for 800, ONE pint bottles or TWO CENTS per bottle assuming (bottled water comes in about 1 pint sizes) as opposed to about $1 per bottle (in some places.) Wow, assuming the mass production savings, what a profit, even after expenses!! It would be interesting to see some real figures.

I've seen some of the comparison stats on various commercial bottled waters and some are not good at all.

I can see buying bottled water on the road at rest stops rather than soda. Our neighbor has a Poland Springs truck pull up regularly. That's a huge waste.

I forgot where some of these bottled waters come from. Is it the NJ Passaic River or some place like that? :)

[Tyrone Slothrop]

26. This is why I only drink grain alcohol... or rainwater n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

38. You can't be too careful!

You'll prolly live to be at least 18!

[namvet73]

47. I've tried it. A sip is good pain prep for oral surgery. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

57. Strangelove reference?

[hellothere]

27. Didn't they find that a lot of bottled water was actually plain tap water?

Maybe that was a few years ago.

[dysfunctional press]

29. I have never bought bottled water, and don't intend to-

our tap water is already very good- but we also have a Brita Filter Pitcher so that it's always cold in the frig.(I also don't like those water/ice dispensers on refrigerator door- we purposely didn't get them).

I've also NEVER bought or drank a single drop of coffee in all of my 45 years- i had a sip of someone else's, ONCE, years ago- and decided that it wasn't for me.

[geomon666]

30. Bottled Water has to be the biggest scam I've never known.

You do realize people that a lot these bottled water company take their from municipal sources....that's tap water.

[rodeodance]

36. as is 3-5 $$ for a cup of coffee

[arikara]

37. Yes it is such a scam

Coke and pepsi are really cashing in on the bottled water craze. They drain aquafers and get bargains on municipal water supplies as they take so much water that it causes stress on the supply. Then we pay big money to buy plastic bottles full of tap water that has possibly been filtered and which often has fluoride in it.

Another thing that people often don't realize is that the reconstituted juices and sodas have tap water added to them which could be fluoridated depending upon where the plant is located. So if you are trying to avoid the stuff, keep away from sodas, reconstitued juices, most bottled waters.

[Whoa_Nelly]

31. Living in the armpit of CA in the center of agriculture and pesticides

The table water here is so saturated with all sorts of things, it's bad enough I have to shower in it. I won't drink water that's yellow and smells funny.

[henslee]

32. Come on, be a sport. Whats a little yellow water.

[Whoa_Nelly]

34. ha ha

and then again, maybe not so funny.

I moved back here a year ago to be near son and family.

Am now under a doctor's care while having blood work done to determine the cause of the recent six weeks of massive hives outbreak I've been experiencing...hives over 60% of my body. Very freaky, very scary.

One thing is for sure, according to the doctor; It's not a topical allergic reaction. It's systemic, meaning something drastic has happened to my autoimmune system, and my body is attacking itself. And I am one who rarely gets ill.

Am thinking I may have to leave CA all together.

[henslee]

39. How weird. Good luck. what about heading north? Seems cleaner.

[Whoa_Nelly]

41. Thanks for the thoughts :-)

Am thinking of moving back to my home state of Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, after writing my previous post, did a search re: urticaria (hives) and pesticides (and believe me, have been trying to determine what this is all about...)

Anyway, am going to call doc and ask about pesticides. In December I had a huge influx of ants into my home which are living in the walls of this house am renting. I have a monthly pest spray service, and they came out and did an inside spray. It was shortly after that the hives started occurring and becoming progressively worse. Apparently, from what I have found, the types of sprays used cause hives, and can be severely health compromising to many people. Am a fair-skinned redhead, and have to wonder if am hypersensitive to what was sprayed as it is a long-lasting spray treatment.

hmmmmmmm.....

[karlrschneider]

44. We've had a year of ant invasions here in Oklahoma, they don't really do

any harm but they're a nuisance.

[Whoa_Nelly]

48. It's not the ants, but the pesticides that have been used on & in

this house am renting. Just did some very in-depth searches using the exact names of the pesticides used by the pest company. There is a direct correlation to what has been happening to me. Maybe I got lucky today in looking into this original thread here :)

When I first moved in and had the house sprayed inside and out, I also had two weeks+ of hives for no reason.

Am calling doctor, and am also printing out the journal articles I found.

meanwhile...I miss Oklahoma sometimes so much. Am planning a trip mid-late April to seriously look into moving back there. (Maybe am allergic to Ca...lol..but definitely more affordable living, being able to buy a house than here in CA.) And if I'm really lucky, will get to be in some thunderstorms! (I plan on breaking the drought by bringing the torrential CA rains with me :silly: ) I used to love waiting and watching for tornadoes. Wild weather has always fascinated me.

[Whoa_Nelly]

49. What part of OK do you live in?

I grew up in OKC :hi:

on edit:

Looked at your profile. You are in Cherokee County! Beautiful country!

[karlrschneider]

59. Almost...Cherokee county is the other side of the lake (Ft. Gibson), we're

on the west side in Wagoner county. :D

[Whoa_Nelly]

60. Still beautiful country!

Am third generation Oklahoman. Grandfather from Henryetta, dad from Tulsa. Have you and yours been in OK a long time?

[karlrschneider]

62. I lived in OK from 49 to 79, then from 94 to now

I grew up in Tulsa, went to Edison HS & Tulsa Univ.

[fed-up]

43. I learned about my food allergies/sensitivities from my Chiropractor-

I filled out a five page questionairre, gave a urine sample and had my organs palpitated before and after I drank a "gruel" type mixture.

I had systemic yeast infections possibly from food not being completely digested. Due to a precessed food diet I was lacking essential enzymes to properly digest my food. I was malnourished and had borderline adrenal failure. I had small outbreaks of blisters on my fingers.

I added enzymes, grapefruit seed extract, probiotics, vitamins/minerals and within 6 months I was on the road back to good health. I now make sure to get my organic greens everyday and avoid processed foods and wheat and dairy.

Expensive food allergy tests may not always be reliable because it depends on how many days in a row you eat a certain item, what quantity you eat and what you eat it with.

Most doctors do NOT look at diet/nutrition when diagnosing ailments. The doctor I had initially gone to had diagnosed depression (in a whopping 5 minutes).

It also is spring in the great central valley and there may be some fungicide or other orchard chemical that you are having a reaction to.

Good luck.

[Whoa_Nelly]

53. Thanks, fed-up

Look up at my posts after the ha ha one. I think I have nailed the cause. Other than this hive thing happening, I am a very healthy individual.

[lindisfarne]

52. Has your doctor ruled out Lyme disease?

[Throckmorton]

33. So, Who cares how they are reused.

"In addition, some 40 percent of the PET bottles deposited for recycling in the United States in 2004 ended up being shipped to China."

Where they are used as feedstock for consumer goods. You didn't think they were going to refill them did you?

[Endangered Specie]

46. I refuse to pay for bottled water...

get a filter if you are that worried.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

55. Why the hell aren't the bottles recycled?

Or reused?

That's just stupid.

[Freddie Stubbs]

56. Biodegradable water bottles are the answer

New water bottle makes appearance in Boca Publix stores

Published Sunday, February 5, 2006
by Corey Siggins


A new environment-friendly water bottle has recently made an appearance on Publix store shelves throughout Boca Raton.

Distributed by Telluride, Colorado-based BIOTA (Blame It On The Altitude) Brands of America, Inc., BIOTA Colorado Pure Spring Water boasts a clean liquid that originates from the highest natural alpine spring in the world.

The most revolutionary aspect of the brand, though, is its bottle-a container made of corn instead of conventional plastics that utilize oil.

"What that means is our bottle is biodegradable, as opposed to plastic bottles which never do. In fact, a BIOTA bottle will typically biodegrade in 80 days," said David Zutler, founder and chief executive officer of BIOTA. "With this product, people can enjoy great tasting water while preserving the environment."

more: http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=14007&category=Local%20News

[Love Bug]

58. When I bought my new fridge a couple of years ago I got one

with a built-in water filter system. It's great -- I only have to replace the filter every 6 months or so for $30. I get all the filtered water I need for drinking, cooking and ice.

[JudyM]

63. Never buy Dasani! Coke diverts villages' water flow to their bottles,

destroying their ability to grow their own food, causing abject poverty and health risks among native peoples. It is one of the sharpest examples of corporate greed destroying a civilization. And those little towns in India get even less press coverage than Dems trying to bring *'s lies and incompetencies to the light of day.

[Scairp]

77. I know

I almost never drink Dasani. Once in a while, if we are at an event that only has that brand we do, but mostly we drink Arrowhead. It's bottled practically in our own backyard.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ConcernedCanuk]

66. I'm astounded at the lack of knowledge in this thread re WATER !!

.
.
.

Google "Cancer and Chlorine"

Almost all our tap water in North America is treated with Chlorine - a toxin that our "leaders" have convinced us that used in moderation is safe - -

It's NOT!!

Even our skin disorders can be connected to bathing and showering in chlorinated water . . .

As for DRINKING it ????

No friggen way . . . . .

I have a skin disorder that despite topical, oral and intravenous treatment only subsides when I bathe in local streams, rivers and lakes -

So I'll trust Momma Nature thank you very much . . . .

OH - and I see one poster mentioned rainwater -

rainwater, and snow - (we get alot of that up here) have PEROXIDE in it - trace amounts mind you, but a beneficial element -

maybe that's a factor in the health of people that rely on cisterns (collecting rainwater in reservoirs) ??

Just My Canuk thots/observations . . . .

[Kurovski]

74. There are filters for the showerhead that help to reduce chlorine.

Though, if I had a pure stream to bathe in, I think I'd like that. :-)

[Synnical]

67. Recycling bottles shipped to China?

I'm so confused. WTF?

[apple_ridge]

72. They get a better deal than the oil companies, too.

Here in Maine, Poland Spring and other companies pump the water out of ancient aquifers and then distribute it worldwide while paying 0 for the resource. A recent effort to make these companies pay .20/gallon was defeated, if you can believe that. Poland Spring threatened to leave the state if the referendum passed. Great! Go! I don't think those facilities would be empty for more than a week if they left. The profit margin is simply too high.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1214/p01s03-usec.htm

[Kurovski]

73. I've used a counter-top steam-distiller for 6 years now.

it's saved thousands of dollars and hundreds of plastic jugs from being used over that period.

You still run it through charcoal afterwords. (I use a jug filter.)

there are many different models, some are larger for family use.

You can research on the web. This is the model that has been reliable for me for 6 years. (And it's one hundred bucks)

http://www.wholesalewaterdistillers.com/distiller-water/love-water-distillers/

This model is sold from different sites, and I'm not familiar with that one. (though it may be fine, I see you have to call) I would google and see which place you feel would be a reliable agent.

You should clean the residue occasionally, they sell a product for that, but I've found that boiling a cup of vinegar with water works just as well.

Jug filters aren't enough to purify water in many locations. (My water is miserable, if you drink it straight, you're still thirsty no mater how much is consumed!)

Home delivery of water (steam-distilled, spring, whatever) in glass containers is the most convenient, and you do pay for that convenience.

[JitterbugPerfume]

76. my son bought me a culligan R-O filter

I keep a pitcher of it in the fridge and drink it from my nicest cobalt blue glasses because I deserve it