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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of those kids who live by their reusable water bottle. I attribute this mostly to my mother, who is a very environmentally conscious, reusable water bottle advocate. Growing up in a household where bottled water was never bought, and where a Brita filter can be found in the refrigerator, it has always struck me the sheer amount of bottled water that is purchased in the United States. Working at a grocery store for 4 summers, I saw first-hand how many people rely on plastic bottled water as their source for drinking water – plastic water bottles are fully engrained in our consumption culture. However, there is something fundamentally flawed in how so many of us buy bottled water (I am no saint, and have also had my fair share of bottled water). The flaw is that there is no need for bottled water in the United States. Other than some select communities that do not have access to safe drinking water (ex. Flint, Michigan), the vast of majority of the United States has access to perfectly safe drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974, set the precedent for the United States to offer safe drinking water to all users of the public water supply. However, even after 40+ years of safe public drinking water, the bottled water industry still seems alive and well.

In fact, the bottled water industry is very much alive, bringing in over $16 billion in sales a year, a number that continues to rise. Bottled water recently surpassed soft drinks for the #2 spot in beverage sales (behind beer). However, as said before – we don’t need bottled water. So why do we drink bottled water, if we don’t need to? I think this is a question that we each need to ask ourselves… maybe it’s for the taste, maybe the convenience, maybe bottled water is just better marketed than drinking tap water. In reality, this “demand” for bottled water is manufactured demand, which correlates that we really do not need to buy bottled water. Not only does the plastic which makes up the bottle of bottled water have a negative impact on the environment, but the entire business model of bottled water does. For example, Aquafina, the water that can be found on campus here, is very often just bottled tap water. Why then are we paying for tap water when we can get for virtually $0.00 from the nearby water fountain (many of which now have a built-in filter)? The energy required to bottle and transport that water already digs a hole for those on the side of bottled water – as it takes a lot less energy to just turn on the faucet and drink that water than buy bottled tap water.

In conclusion, please think twice when buying bottled water, and look into getting your own reusable bottle for water. At home, consider purchasing a Brita filter for your tap water (which is most likely safe to drink on its own, however if your pipes are circa 1980’s or older, there may be some lead – which will be taken care of by the Brita). While the $25 up-front cost may seem a lot for just drinking water, this investment will pay for itself quickly, both economically and environmentally.

Thanks for dealing with this rant – but seriously, you don’t need bottled water.