What's wrong with tap water?

[ColbertWatcher]

I'm watching the panel discussion on CSPAN2 right now and they're discussing The Nation's book "Meltdown".

But, it's not just this panel, it seems I see bottled water at every panel on TV.

Why?

Has tap water become so foul that no person can drink it without contracting something? Is there some kind of social stigma related to being seen drinking water out of a glass?

I thought we've learned how much waste comes from all that plastic.

[Occam Bandage]

1. Bottled water seems very common at lectures, seminars, symposia, and the like.

I assume that is because it is easier to handle/drink/set out/clean up/replace/carry/walk around with, and is reasonably inexpensive.

[ColbertWatcher]

22. This is what I'm wondering.

At those kinds of events they use volunteers.

They can't have a volunteer to take care of water?

They have to push the idea that more plastic bottles is preferred?

[Occam Bandage]

35. I'm sure they could use glasses and pitchers. But people are lazy. nt

[mitchtv]

2. you're in SoCal

and you have to ask?

[ColbertWatcher]

4. I've got a filter. n/t

[mitchtv]

28. I got two

one on the softener and one on the frig.tastes ok to me, but partner complains

[madokie]

37. Sometimes when we're going to be going somewhere we fill up a couple

clean empty bottles out of our filter and take it with us. My wife has a bottled water fountain in her office that when the time comes she brings the three gallon bottle home and fills it out of the filter too.

The bottled water makes good projectiles for our dry ice gun though :-) cheap and easy to gather back up after an afternoon of shooting.

[JI7]

38. i'm in SoCal and i drink Tap

[stillcool]

3. I remember when there was..

pitchers of water and water glasses. Ah, the good old days.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. I'd like to see that again. n/t

[NOW tense]

5. Messages from Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE&feature=related

[timtom]

20. Absolutely amazing!

I have no words...

[NOW tense]

25. It makes me think about water differently. n/t

[Bushknew]

7. EPA Won't Remove Rocket Fuel From Water

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/tech/main4470126.shtml

[ColbertWatcher]

11. True, but as you can see from post #8 below: bottled water is tap water.

If they're both the same, what is the benefit from all the added plastic?

[izquierdista]

26. The plastic neutralizes the rocket fuel

Perchlorates do a pretty good job of oxidizing organic molecules, so if you let the tap water sit in plastic for a few days from the bottling plant to the consumer, it's properly aged. :silly:

If you really want pure water, you're going to have to wait at a downspout for a passing thunderstorm, but not the first glass -- got to let those airborne organics get rinsed off the roof before you can drink it.

[Mari333]

8. haha bottled water is tap water

thats what always cracks me up.

[ColbertWatcher]

13. Thank you. n/t

[Maine-ah]

30. Singing the bottled water blues

http://www.villagesoup.com//opinion/story.cfm?storyid=151042

Don’t kid yourself. This water is systematically and relentlessly pumped from land that belongs to Maine communities. Poland Spring, which began bottling water generations ago in the town of that name, is now an arm of the global conglomerate Nestlé. Poland Spring is trying to strong-arm Maine so Nestlé can continue to extract our water, for free, and sell it back to us.

Poland Spring water dates at least as far back as the mid-19th century, when Hiram Ricker built the Poland Spring House with its opulent ballrooms, elevator, golf course and water he claimed could heal the sick. It made Ricker a very rich man.

Nowadays, Nestlé grows rich on gullible customers who seem to think drinking Poland Spring water is a good thing — even without old Hiram telling them it cures dyspepsia. It’s not a good thing. It’s a disgraceful thing to do. Think what those dollars you spend on water could do for your family, for your community, for charity.

Think what extracting millions of gallons of water from Maine might do to our water table, to small farmers, to wildlife and our kitchen faucets. What gives Poland Spring the right to take this from us, without even being taxed? The company says it “provides” jobs. Nonsense. It hires people like any other business if it needs them. This isn’t charitable or being socially responsible.

more at above link.

[lutefisk]

61. I don't think I've ever tasted chlorine in bottled spring water

Believe it or not, some bottled water really is spring water.

:spray:

[Maine-ah]

64. if you're drinking poland spring

you're basically drinking my well water. :hi:

[cbayer]

9. I think it's one of the biggest marketing scams ever, and a very successful one at that.

Some of the "bottled" water sold is right out of a tap. And don't get me started on the problem that these little (and big) plastic bottles are causing.


:grr:

[ColbertWatcher]

14. I figured that some company was getting something from this. n/t

[BuyingThyme]

10. Bottled water is for wussies and assholes.

(Except you guys.)

[Jack_DeLeon]

12. I drink tap water, if I think I need to take water somewhere I'll fill up my Nalgene bottle...

for the most people small bottles of water are wasteful.

They however do serve a purpose when you are needing to give out water to large numbers of people such as at events or after a disaster.

[ColbertWatcher]

17. I agree about providing water after disasters, but ...

... at panels such as the one I'm watching, glasses and pitchers would suffice. There are only 5 people on the panel.

They're talking about global justice while ignoring the globe.

[uppityperson]

40. I've a 1/2 size nalgene I take when flying. Get through security and fill at drinking fountain.

saves me cash and I don't get dehydrated. Just make sure it's empty for TSA

[csziggy]

67. I drink our well water - but here is a question about the containers

For years, I have used those large insulated 32 ounce jugs for my water. I fill them with ice and water first thing in the morning and refill as needed throughout the day. They go everywhere with me whether I am working on the farm or traveling by car.

But they are made of plastic and I suspect maybe the kind that leaches nasty stuff into the water. Plus, some of the jugs are ancient - 25 years old or more - and they are very scratched and some are cracking with age. The jugs I am using look like this:


Does anyone know where I can get a 32 ounce stainless steel insulated jug with a lid and a big handle? I need a lid to keep out crud and insects while I am working outside. I need a big open handle for the days my hands don't work properly. I cannot comfortably pick up even a 16 ounce bottle many days - I am getting arthritis in my hands and they just don't stretch and grasp that well. I can find 15 to 24 ounce stainless steel ones, but not the big roomy ones that hold the amount I like to carry and that will last me for four hours when I am working outside in 90 F heat.

[WindRiverMan]

15. Bottled water is not good for you.

There have been several studies done on this. Stationary water = bacterial growth. Tap water is generally cleaner than bottled water.

[EFerrari]

55. And wasn't there just a story around here that plastic releases

an estrogen - like substance into food and liquids such that no one should probably be ingesting anything that comes out of a plastic container?

[babylonsister]

16. Great. I drink lots of tap water...and have a sore throat.

x(

[BlooInBloo]

18. I can't imagine purchasing bottled water.

[NOW tense]

19. I drank uranium for 18 years.

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/statereports/state_contaminant.php?state=MN&contam=X006

[cali]

21. My tap water is better than ANY bottled water

It's gravity fed from a spring and it comes out of the tap icy cold and sweet.

[baldguy]

23. POE - OPE - Fluoridation is a commie plot!

I drink only distilled water, or rain water, and only pure grain alcohol.

[Liberal Veteran]

24. People like you are hindering our efforts to build a new plastic continent in the Pacific.

Shame on you!

[ColbertWatcher]

27. Opps, I forgot!

My bad!

http://www.wikiality.com/Garbage_patch

[MADem]

29. What city is the panel in? Some cities have dogshit water--others have the good stuff.

It depends on the state of the treatment plants.

The "next big thing" is lightweight aluminum reusable bottles -- kinda like high-tech thermoses of yore, only featherweight--so you can put your Brita/Pur filtered water in them, instead.

I don't use bottled water at home, and didn't even when I lived overseas. I had a very good portable filtering system though, and in some countries, I would do the boil AND bleach AND filter routine, because some places did have sketchy stuff coming out of the tap. It was a pain in the ass, but I never got sick from "bad" water.

I will buy bottled water if I am travelling and away from a place where I can filter my own.

[a la izquierda]

72. Our water tastes like rotten pepper.

And had a high rate of arsenic for a long time. We filter.

[MADem]

73. Ewww. Sensible move! nt

[DonCoquixote]

31. A lot of it is staus seeking, but

In some cases, Tap water is nasty, and there is nothing that even the best equipped water works can do about it. For example, in Florida, we have plenty of water, but that same aquifer that helps us also makes sure the water tastes like sour limestone. I still remember being shocked when I went to New Orleans, how GREAT their water tasted, of course, that was because the Mississippi river flow naturally blew out a lot if minerals. I mainly use bottled water for Tea, where it does make a big difference, not just in taste, but the fact that the high PH of the local water ruins kettles and coffeemakers.

[seabeyond]

32. try amarillo. makes thirstier than first drink. turns teeth brown.... no thank you

glad you can drink your tap water, but here, so much salt in it or something, it dries the mouth not quinch the thirst. and i dont trust all the people whose teeth have been damaged. i hear it is well or something, dont know, but dont want

and it tastes nasty

though city assures us not dangerous

when i go to new mexico, colorado for visits i can drink their tap

[doctor jazz]

33. Now and then just for the hell of it, I run some tap water and test it with my pool testing kit.

It's usually not fit to swim in.
:shrug:

[ColbertWatcher]

39. You have pool testing equipment?

Do you also clean pools?

What would it take to make the tap water drinkable?

[doctor jazz]

43. I clean my own pool, yes. Was that a trick question?

I assume a little less chlorine would make it taste a lot better. They often put in too much...not on purpose because it's expensive, it's just erring on the side of safety.

[ColbertWatcher]

47. Not a trick question; I just didn't want to assume.

Just wondering if you did and if so, what would it take to make it drinkable.

[doctor jazz]

48. My post was mostly a joke...we often say it around here. It's like

"the water is okay to drink, just don't swim in it" Not at all serious, you see. :-)

[ColbertWatcher]

50. Oh, okay. Well, welcome to DU! n/t

[AndyTiedye]

34. How do You Remove Chloramines?

Chloramines may be a highly efficient disinfectant, but it kills sourdough culture too.
At the moment, we're stuck using bottled water on the sourdough.

[ColbertWatcher]

42. But many bottled waters are simply tap water.

Plus, the people on these panels aren't doing anything with sourdough--at least this is what I'm assuming just looking at the video.

[doctor jazz]

45. You can get chloramine neutralizer at any pet store (the N-Cl is toxic to fish)

...

[GoCubsGo]

68. Let the tap water sit for a day or two....

That's standard practice for adding water to an aquarium. The chloramines break down and evaporate off. After that, there shouldn't be anything left to kill the sourdough culture or your tropical fish.

[AndyTiedye]

77. Chloramine Doesn't Break Down

Letting it sit for a few days works for chlorine, but not chloramine.

[MissB]

80. reverse osmosis

[Blue_In_AK]

36. Anchorage has some of the best tap water in the country.

It tastes BETTER than bottled water, and it's always icy cold out of the faucet.

[Texasgal]

41. Generally,people take water for granted.

We need a water conservation movement NOW.

I live in Austin, Texas and right now we are the in an alarming drought. The word needs to get out that water is a precious natural resource not to be wasted... and yeah, the whole bottled water thing makes me cringe!

[ColbertWatcher]

46. CA has been in a drought our dumbass "governor" has been ignoring.

I agree, we need to stop taking water for granted.

We need to make sure it doesn't get privatized ever, and we need to stop making it look like it's okay to have bottled water everywhere.

[The Straight Story]

44. Maybe it is tap water and they use their bottles to carry it since it has a screw on lid

Or maybe it is not water at all and is vodka....

[ColbertWatcher]

49. If it is tap, why all the plastic? What's the message there?

That's it's okay to keep making/using plastic bottles??

[The Straight Story]

51. I agree the message is a mess, but I buy Mt. Dew in bottles

And then reuse those bottles for water and gatorade because they have a cap I can screw on and avoid spills.

I don't reuse my beer bottles, the company I work for frowns on people carrying around beer bottles.

[GoCubsGo]

69. Don't reuse them too much

The type of plastic they use in soft drink bottles is soft and scratches easily, and it can harbor bacteria, especially when used over and over and over again. You would probably be better off buying a Nalgene or Tritan water bottle. Better yet, they sell stainless steel water bottles at camping goods stores like REI. You don't have to worry about stuff leaching out of them, and they don't scratch easily. They are also much easier to clean and sanitize.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LWolf]

53. I don't know what's wrong with it.

Regular testing of tap water would be good information.

MY tap water is delicious. It comes from 475 feet of filtering rock and sand below my place. It's icy, clean and wonderful.

I put it in gallon jugs and water bottles to take with me when I go places. I just have to make sure that I empty unused water (into the garden or horse trough,) clean, and refill frequently, since my well water is not treated with anything. Sealed and indoors, it stays fresh for a long time, but I still recycle it frequently.

I do make tea with the tap water at work.

[EFerrari]

56. Our tap water in Santa Monica made us and all our animals sick.

So, we used filters. I couldn't wait to come back home to San Francisco because the tap water here is better than any other drink I can think of.

[LWolf]

57. This thread makes me wonder:

When traveling outside our local area, should we drink bottled water, or take a filter with us?

We may know the quality of the tap water in our town or region, but have no idea when we are outside our regular territory, so to speak.

So I usually drink bottled water. Not that I travel much.

[ColbertWatcher]

58. Considering what the GOP did to the FDA, that might not be a bad idea.

Who knows how bad municipal water has become since city budgets have been gutted to pay for the GOP's multiple fiascoes.

[LWolf]

62. I don't travel often,

but will be later this month. It's only for two days; I'll probably just fill up a 2.5 gallon jug with well water, and take a glass.

I wonder what the most efficient way to filter AND treat for bacteria in strange places would be?

[EFerrari]

59. I wonder if there are compact filteration type devices available for travellers?

It sounds like a good idea -- especially when bottled water may be tap water in a bottle. lol

[doctor jazz]

60. A filter is fine to take out the big chunks but they won't kill bacteria. *

If you want to be completely safe you should boil unknown water or at the very least add a little bleach. Yeah, yuck is right but better a little chlorine taste than e-coli poisoning.

[jmowreader]

54. There is an alternative

Faux News was prepared to use beer in lieu of tap water in the early years of the Bush Administration, but that experiment was cancelled when one of their hosts, who was pulling a double shift because her relief had called in sick, was handed the latest set of White House talking points. Overcome by a heady mix of hairspray fumes, intense lighting and an extremely potent doppelbock from Kulmbach, she read the sheet handed to her, did a massive spit-take, and stammered the fateful phrase, "You've got to be shitting me, Joker. Does ANYONE believe this bullshit?"

Unfortunately for her, calling Republican dogma bullshit is specifically listed as a termination offense in the Faux News employee handbook.

[underpants]

63. The battle over water is going to make wars over oil look like a Boy Scout jamboree

check it out CW. This is the new thing.

[Texasgal]

65. This is so true.

Water rights are going to be the next civil war... it's almost guaranteed.

[underpants]

66. Cheney killed off a couple thousand fish in the Klamath to appease his sponsors

water is privatized completely in Atlanta and Indianapolis

and worldwide there has to be a concerted effort to NOT get clean drinking water to everyone. Has to be.

[sakabatou]

70. Depends where you live

You might need a filter to get good tap water.

[RoyGBiv]

71. Coca Cola is what's wrong with it ...

I remember the *day* the first bottled-water salesman came in from the Coca Cola company trying to get me to purchase some bottled water to sell in the store I was managing. And this wasn't *that* many years ago.

I thought he was nuts. We had bottled water. It was called Perrier. We sold about 12 bottles of it a week. Why would I want this plastic bottled crap? I read the label closely and realized the stuff he was selling was nothing but tap water out of someplace in New York. "Mountain spring water from the nation's finest wells, filtered to perfection with the cooperation of the city of ... whatever," or something like that.

Well, I was young, and this was my first managing gig, and the owner was out of town, and I didn't want to screw up. I thought I should put aside my biases and see what's what. I refused to buy any until he agreed to sell it on contingency. I let him bring in two cases, gave him two slots on the lower shelf of a non-prime cooler door, and agreed to pay for what we sold when he came back the following week. If we hadn't sold a case by then, he could just pass by the store on his route afterward.

Later that evening is when I started seeing all this advertising all over the place about "healthy" water, and I saw a television commercial for it a couple days after that.

We sold both cases he left two days before he returned.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ad campaigns convinced us we *needed* the bottled water, and we're all good lemmings, so we believe it, even if we say we aren't affected by commercials.

[MasonJar]

74. Bottled water is using up an incredible amount of resources because

so many are not recycled. I say we start charging for bottles. The return would be incredible. Some cities have more improved public water facilities than others. However, any restaurant or home or business can filter its water.

[Reterr]

75. Agreed-total waste of resources and dumb to boot.eom

[upi402]

76. Municipalities use anti corrosives in tap water to preserve pipes

and some hack will come here and explain how anti corrosives are great in small amounts!

[Cynical Guy]

78. As somebody who has run meetings with guest speakers and lectures before...

I hated having water bottles onsite, but a lot of places don't have a sanitary way to clean and store the pitchers and glasses.

Water bottles can be stored for a while, chilled in a relatively small space, have limited spilling capacity, can be taken with the speaker when they leave, etc.

Not the best way to go, but logistically speaking, it is much more convenient than the alternative.

[donheld]

79. Denver has Great tap water

Yes indeed!

[bridgit]

81. Years ago in Long Beach, long before 'the renaissance', you could see what looked like...

little sea monkeys swimming around in it x( We drink the tap water here tastes just fine :thumbsup:

[Odin2005]

82. Soft drink companies scared people by lying to them that tap water isn't safe.

[DonCoquixote]

83. Florida tap water (true story)

One of my local Movie theaters was trying to add a Coffeehouse, since it was big, and the mall they were in had no Starbucks. They went ahead and got this big expensive Italian Machine, a "La Mazzereta". I used to work in the Coffee business, so I knew that machine must have cost at least five grand. Several years later, I showed up at a place I knew that repaired machines, and lo and behold, that machine was trashed. It turns out that the people that ran the movie house thought you could just use the local bottled spring water and everything would be fine. Well, turns out that even the local bottled water has a Ph that is high enough to deep six most coffeemakers. Of course, being the smart ass I tend to be, I asked "how does Starbucks do it?" Turns out that at least in Florida, every Starbucks has a very expensive filtering system, as do most of your higher end restaurants down here.

Long story short, that movie house scrapped the coffeehouse idea, although it also made me stop buying a certain brand of bottled water. Don't get we wrong, that Florida aquifer is going to save Florida's bacon when water resources get low; even our slimy GOP governor Charlie Crist realizes this, which is why the state bought out the sugar companies that were ruining the everglades (though frankly, I suspect something more nefarious at work, knowing Charlie.) Florida water is better than New Jersey water, but considering we were in an area called "cancer alley" that was not a surprise.