Water, Water Everywhere....

We've all done it. There's a water fountain right across the way but we veer off and go toward the vending machine for the "purer, more convenient" choice. What happened that made us look down upon the tap and chose to only quench our thirst from plastic bottles? When did we decide it would be better toto pay more for a gallon of water than a gallon of unleaded gas?
 
I guess it happened when a ridiculously good marketing strategy got people to pay for the allure of the haughty, healthy bottled water trend. For the longest time we were purchasing only bottled water with something else to offer: minerals, electrolytes, flavors, bubbles. Even a trip through a purifier would convince us  that we needed that extra step. But was this in the interest of our health, our image or our laziness? Well since most tap water is just as healthy (if not more) and even the homeless of NYC cart around Aquafina bottles, so why are we paying ridiculous amounts for something we can easily get from our sinks? Yes we're lazy, yes we want the most convenient thing now but we are also intelligent and should be able to put two and two together.

What gets me (aside from the absurd amount of waste, consumer mindset and outdated bias of course) is that people all over the world are dying because they don't have access to clean water. We have it all around us. We flush our toilet with drinkable water, we wash our laundry with it and other people are dying because they can't get access to any. And yet, we're somehow too good for that water. How disgusting it would be for us drink the same water that our utilities run on.

Is it okay because we have the options in front of us and we're merely express our freedom to choose? Sure. But it does not make any sense. The tap is safe, hell some of the tap is cleaner than bottled waters. The city water is held to higher standard and inspected far more often than bottled water companies.

If you know it's ridiculous to buy bottled water but still keep doing it I suggest you read Elizabeth Royte's Bottlemania. She successfully makes you disgusted by your habits without making you feel like you're being attacked.