Buying bottled water...

[mew1234321]

Hey, I live in Australia, and the tap water here is pretty awesome. Filtered like hell, and all that jazz.

I don't think I've bought bottled water in like... ever.

I can't remember a single occasion.

I have drunken it though, like, at friends houses who do buy that stuff. Not much different.

People who buy bottled water? It's usually for 2-3 reasons, depending on your area -

1. The water in the place your in sucks, and is going to kill you.

2. Convenience's sake, like, you're going on a long trip, and you didn't pack any water. (idiot)

3. They're paranoid/marketed all to hell, and think bottled water is better.

 

[Faladorian]

In some areas, the tap water is brown, yellow or some other disheartening color. It's usually just due to mineral deposits (not bacteria, humus, or other disgusting rotting crap) but people still tend to prefer water that's clear.

Also, natural disasters. You need to set aside a supply of water in case of a natural (or even unnatural) disaster, since you can go less than a week without water before you die.

In the case of convenience, yeah it is kind of dumb. But, sometimes I don't want a Snapple or a soda or something, I just want water. And if I can bring it with me, even better.

 

[Squilookle]

I can vaguely understand for places where tap water needs to be boiled, but where I live, you can slurp that stuff straight from the kitchen, bathroom, hell even the laundry taps if you wanted to. And yet people buy bottled water.

Just can't wrap my head around it!

 

[Chased]

I don't have tap in college, so I have to buy bottled water and stock it in the fridge.

 

[oppp7]

Mostly because I'm lazy. Soon as I move out of college I stop wasting them, though.

 

[MolotoK]

I don't mind drinking tap water (Berlin, Germany), it actually tastes pretty good, but I prefer carbonated water.

I switch water brands frequently. Drinking the same water all the time is boring.
My favorite is San Pellegrino but it's just as expensive as Coca Cola. It's not that I can't afford it and I definitely appreciate good water, but I just can't get myself to pay that much for water.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I'm one of the people who buys those huge things of water. We set it in the fridge, whenever we fill up our water bottles or just a cup it's already cold. It also tastes better than normal tap water, I still drink tap water but I prefer the bottled.

 

[Jasper Jeffs]

Tap water is disgusting. If I'm out and I'm thirsty, I'll buy a bottle of water because I don't drink pop. I'm not happy that I have to pay for it because at home I can get it from the fridge and it's exactly the same, but whatever. As for the question, I have no idea, people probably believe buying it grants some health benefit other sources of water don't contain.

On a similar topic, bottled water was being sold for £2 in a club once, with red bull and vodka being sold at £8. Eight. Pound. Disgraceful! My only assumption is people are retarded.

 

[Semi-Human]

Depends on where you live. I know over here the tap water is actually cleaner and gets checked more then bottle water. add to that the huge pollution it causes and its a obviously a retarded idea.

Some times bottled water is even unhealthy. Like a "natural spring" might actually pass through layers of uranium or something.

in Some countries i would buy bottle just to keep my self from getting the runs, but i'd tell those countries to get there shit in order.

 

[zidine100]

The tap water in my flat is neigh undrinkable, due to health reasons, seriously when theres white gunk in there (dont say it) id rather not drink it. Ergo bottled water is appropriate.

 

[Xanadu84]

There is a huge amount of trendiness associated with bottled water, but there is rational reasons as well. For a small bottle, its convenient for when you're not next to a sink, and don't want to carry around a bottle all the time. If you're talking bigger jugs, there are several reasons. You may need water camping, but don't want to buy a jug specifically for holding water. You may have plumbing problems. You may have it around in case of emergencies.

 

[Zaik]

No idea, the water here is so awful that drinking an unfiltered glass of water tears my insides up terribly. It's recent, the quality of the water dropped suddenly and quickly over two or three months to the point that you're better off being a bit dehydrated and just drinking water when you need it than actually staying properly hydrated.

That said, I could probably run 40 gallons of water through one of my filters for the price of 48-72 bottles of water(counting the price for 1 filter, which safely filters an avg. of 40 gallons before starting to fail). If you've got money to blow on bottles of water then great I guess, but I'd never do it.

There is a huge amount of trendiness associated with bottled water, but there is rational reasons as well. For a small bottle, its convenient for when you're not next to a sink, and don't want to carry around a bottle all the time. If you're talking bigger jugs, there are several reasons. You may need water camping, but don't want to buy a jug specifically for holding water. You may have plumbing problems. You may have it around in case of emergencies.

I think the point the OP is trying to make is that filtering your own water is drastically cheaper than buying it bottled. For carrying water with you, people have been making plastic containers of all shapes and sizes since before I was born that you could put water you previously filtered into. That leaves "trendiness", I suppose, which is simple economics. If you'd like to look "trendy", I guess you pay a drastic price difference for bottled water made of recycled material or whatever instead of a plastic bottle with filtered water in it that cost you 1/10th as much.

 

[WrcklessIntent]

Honestly its I buy it just for the convenience of it. I'm always going somewhere and I like to have a drink in the car with me so i buy packages of bottled water. I wouldn't ever buy like huge containers of water though i have the tap for when i'm at home.

 

[BlastedTheWorm]

See, smaller bottles is fine, especially if they're out and about, with no tap handy. Otherwise...it's just a waste, really.

That might just be because where I'm from, the water is awesome. I know in England it's...not pleasant.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I just hate the taste of tap water. I liken it to drinking from a swimming pool in terms of flavour.

That said, it's more economical to buy a filter than it is to buy bottled water.

 

[teebeeohh]

because nothing says decadent like evian
i prefer my water with CO2 because it gives me the illusion of not being as bland as tap water.

 

[Fearzone]

...is acceptable if it tastes better than tap, which usually it does. Up to the purchaser. Why would anyone else care?