Is Bottled Water the Price of Gold
by beauley on Sep 04, 2007 with 4 Comments
Water, the experts say, covers about 2/3 of the Earth’s surface. Drinking water, of course, occupies far less than that and a good portion of this is divided between town supplied and bottled drinking water. The rest is mostly used in irrigation through aquifers or precipitation.
Water, the experts say, covers about 2/3 of the Earth’s surface. Drinking water, of course, occupies far less than that and a good portion of this is divided between town supplied and bottled drinking water. The rest is mostly used in irrigation through aquifers or precipitation.
Which Drinking Water Is Better As Far As The Consumer Is Concerned?
Some tell us that bottled is better, mainly the bottled water suppliers. Town utilities will tell us that town water supply is better. Some towns here in the U.S. do deliver highest quality water to their towns people and a few are marginal, but even some reputable bottling companies have been known to pump town water, filter and recondition the water and bottle it for sale to the public. They are a very low minority, but we are told that they do exist.
What About The Relative Cost Of Bottled Versus Town Water?
These days one can generally purchase approximately a 16 oz. brand name plastic bottle of “spring” water for about a dollar. Store brands go for a lot less. Whatever part of the U.S. you may live, or for that matter, the world, it can cost between 240 and 10,000 times more to purchase bottled than to use town delivered tap water.
To Give A Particular Example For The U.S.
The average household cost for town water here in the U.S. is $ .66 per cubic meter, or 265 gallons of water, or 4,240 8 ounce glasses of water, enough to last the average person 530 days (consuming 8-8 oz. Glasses per day). It can also be put simply as 62.5 8 oz. Glasses for 1-cent. So, one might ask does the bottling industry sell so much packaged water? Marketing is a powerful tool in the world of commerce.
Given The Huge Cost Differences: What About Quality?
If we look at some expert opinion from some of the world’s top experts in ecological science, proponents to bottled water say that it is more consistent, yet those who favor tap water say it is more well regulated, both here in the U.S. and abroad. Has there been gross occurrences to the people drinking either bottled or tap water? There probably has been an occurrence or two, but not enough to bring about national attention. So, drink-up. Meanwhile, pocket approximately $ 5,800. per year, If you are a family of 4 who would normally drink 8-8 oz. glasses of bottled water each day by switching to the convenient tap.
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Published in: Consumer Information
Darlene McFarlane | Sep 9, 2007 | Reply
I never thought of the cost of bottled water vs town tap water until now and I find your facts staggering. We started drinking bottled water 17 years ago when we moved to a country place where the well water wasn’t fit for drinking although we could cook with it. We were so used to buying our water that we just carried on once we moved to town 8 months ago. Sometime during the period we lived with well water I developed an allergy to chlorine and never knew until I tried a glass of our area’s heavily chlorinated drinking water. We joke that we can wash our clothes without a whitener compliments of the town.
beauley, Lucien | Sep 10, 2007 | Reply
First of all, thank you for your informative and lenghty comment. The articles purpose was only meant to bring awareness to the relative cost of of the two major drinking water sources. It is relative to each individual or families use of water as to any kind of financial impact. Unfortunately, without water, life cannot exist. By the way, your article “Dieting” is the best. I made a few copies to pass around to friends and neighbors. You should have been a writer for stand-up comics.
Darlene McFarlane | Sep 11, 2007 | Reply
Please don’t think I was putting down your article. I found it well written as usual and informative. The numbers are astounding, I just never stopped to think of what we spend even in a month.
Thanks for your comment on my Dieting article. It is flattering that you thought it good enough to share with others.
beauley, Lucien | Sep 11, 2007 | Reply
Some of the amounts I entered regarding did not account for wholesale purchase of bottled water in any large quantity, so the figures I entered are a little high. Thank you again for your comments of past experience.
I had to pass around your “Dieting” article knowing that it is a cppyright of yours. Your article has the right attitude. Thanks Darlene to give others the joys of reading it.