In 2007 Jeannette Brown writes,
1. A generation of young Americans has been brought up to drink only bottled water when not too long ago their parents relied exclusively on tap water.Well, that's because when we grew up we could rely on tap water, there wasn't pesticides, chemicals, prescription drugs ( Widespread Trace-Level Contamination Found In U.S. Water Supply, AP Investigation Shows) and worms floating around in our water. These days the ground is a septic tank for what lands in the soil, and the generic filter provided for municipal water isn't small enough to clear out the bacteria and pharmecueticals, that have landed in the water used for your tap. EW! Actually, I take it back, I don't even think I drank tap water when I was younger. That picture makes me want to be sick. Today people have filters for their tap water, show of hands (comments) how many people drink straight tap water and are exited about it?
2. Sadly, many people in the world have no access to clean water of any kind but in the United States, Americans can take their pick from water flown in from countries including France, Fiji and Italy. It is also important to remember that bottled water requires big ships, trains and trucks to ship it, which causes more pollution.She makes a statement that is so vague and yet her point is what? Americans get choices? And that is a bad thing? Has she looked at the soda aisle, the tea aisle, the coffee aisle, the MARKET? This is what we do, we offer the best of everything so why is that a double standard for water? I started in my career not in bottled water and as a consumer,and even then I always bought bottled water because water is healthy and tap water is gross. But it seems according to this and almost every article or blog I read About bottled water bags on the same thing… how bottled water drinkers should be stuck drinking the crap tap. As a wine drinker, should I be only allowed to drink Boons Farm too? I never really read blogs about how ridiculous this double standard is, and that’s exactly what it is, FOOLISHNESS.
Now, we get to the good stuff. She says “In fact” – where are these facts? Are they printed or even quoted somewhere? Here’s an article for you, that shows you the FACTS that tap water is NOT safer. And she goes on to say -Simply put, people have been convinced that bottled water is somehow healthier when in reality there are no results to suggest that such a claim is true. Well I don’t know what planet Jeannette is living on, try googling ” tap water that damages” and to make it easy for you, I’ve found a few RESULTS that Jeannette claims weren’t available and to her defense, she did write this two years ago. So maybe New University should hire another writer to re-write the story.
FLORIDA: RED Worms in Tap Water – Florida Water Services Sued, she found fly larvae in her water.
WEST VIRGINIA: Jennifer Hall-Massey knows not to drink the tap water in her home near Charleston, W.Va. her son has scabs from the water.
Virginia: Spotsylvania Family's Tap Water Turns Black
24 STATES: STUDY FINDS TRACES OF DRUGS IN DRINKING WATER IN 24 MAJOR U.S. REGIONS
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.
Or click here for a list for the 5 most harmful chemicals found in tap water.
4. While the bottled water industry is not likely to slow down any time soon, consumers can do their best to ensure that they do not damage the environment with the numerous plastic bottles that are being purchased each year.While it seems she is attempting to support the environment, she is actually just asking people to change their own preferences based on no other solutions and that just isn’t the case. Don’t let people push you into shame or guilt about your choices, put your green cape on and...
1. Buy LOCAL
2. Buy SUSTAINABLE
3. Buy SPRING WATER not purified water (tap water)
4. Buy from a company who looks like they care not just a big corporation
5. MAKE SURE YOU RECYCLE… and tell your friends and your kids
In the end. Bottled water is not the Culprit. We are fully aware of what we consume and what our choices are, at least I thought we still had choices. Let us drink bottled water with dignity, it sure beats being a drunk, a sugar junkie or a coffee fiend. Water is the source of life, and supports us – we are all made up of 70% water – so let’s stop bastardizing water and the people who have dedicated their time to bring it to you. Enjoy and thank your water for being there to support you, with love and with blessings, because water is there to support you.
Here's a letter from a concerned consumer to recent NY Times article:
Dear Mr. Archibold,
I read your article on my blackberry while lying in bed this morning and literally had to get up and hit my PC to thank you for this story.
My name is Sharon Lindsey and I am a resident of Los Angeles, living in Marina Del Rey, I am immune compromised having been hospitalized for it several years ago and am very lucky to be alive today. Over recent months it has become quite "fashionable" for lack of a better term for the media to slam all bottled water companies and even go so far as to say that tap water is as safe as bottled. This is not accurate, in fact, municipal tap water can be dangerous and even life-threatening to someone like me who has to be very careful about the water I put into my body. Your article confirmed my belief stating that the American Society of Civil Water Engineers gave the nation at D-rating when it comes to taking care of drinking water facilities.
As a resident of Los Angeles I am a customer of the Los Angeles Water and Power Company. Each year by Federal law, all city municipalities are required to send their customers a report on the water quality. In August on 2008, I read the LADWP report and was stunned to find a bolded paragraph on page 3 that stated: "Health Related Notices, Precautions for People With Weakened Immune Systems. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. People with weakened immune systems, may have undergone chemotherapy treatment, received organ transplants, suffer from HIV/Aids, or other immune disorders. Some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infection. People with these types of health challenges should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. The same warning appears in this years report as well. http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp001965.jsp (Please note right hand bottom of Page 1 under "Health Related Notices").
There are studies that have been widely publicized and referenced to stating that tap water is as safe as bottled water such as the one put out by the Environmental Working Group based in Washington. EWG's study somehow came to a conclusion that tap water is as safe as bottled water. I personally contacted Rene Sharp the leader of that EWG study last year and asked her if she and her team were aware of the EPA warning to people with immune compromisations and she was not. I have seen this same study quoted throughout the year and used again by Elaine Shannon who now writes for EWG in a Huffington Post article posted this past July without any footnotes or addendums to the warning statements by municipal water companies but once again, it is very good and great press to say tap water is as safe as some bottled waters to get the consumer all in a fury. In her article, she actually gave a bottled water company called Aquamantra (that surpasses EPA requirements and safe for me to drink having gone through several passes of a 1 micron filtration system, ozone and ultra-violet to rid cryptosporidium and other harmful micro-organisms) an F grade because the researchers on the EWG are still quoting their faulty study from last year and not able to find the water purification, lab breakdown and source info on Aquamantra's site. I called EWG last week and again brought this to their attention and was told "they stand by their story"....how can they? it baffles me. There are several bottled water companies along with Aquamantra that actually surpass EPA standards because they spend the additional dollars to make sure their waters are clean, and yes they are more expensive because of their water processing and purification. I happened to choose Aquamantra because it is a local California water, it tasted better and comes in a biodegradable and recyclable bottle.
I bring this to your attention because the immune compromised, the elderly and infants are continually ignored and the general public is continually misinformed in tap vs bottled water saga and our numbers are large. While we don't ask for ramps on sidewalks or special toilet stalls, we deserve to get correct information as do the entire population so we can make informed choices. We cannot and should not drink municipal tap water. While it may not seem that this clarification is important enough to those reporting on this issue, to the immune compromised, it is our lives.
Thanks for your time and consideration. Once again, I really appreciated your article.
In Health,
Sharon Lindsey
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