Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Ban Bottled Water

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A rural town in Australia has voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water over concerns about its environmental impact. Read more here.

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Comments

  1. Larry says

    From a Sacramento County (California) perspective, ‘bottled’ water is a joke. Tap water here doesn’t taste great, but I use a Britta activated charcoal filter, and then put the filtered water in the fridge. After an hour, it tastes as good as water from a High Sierra spring.

    Some feel that “bottled” water is more healthful than water from the tap. That may be true in Third-World countries. But here in the US, tap water is probably just as healthful. Most “bottles” that I’ve seen for “bottled” water are plastic. Some plastics leach hormone-mimicking phthalates into beverages.

    In my area, “bottled” water is for people with more money than brains. What’s next? Bottled air? Bully for Bundanoon!

  2. janama says

    It’s always fascinated me that coca cola is cheaper than bottled water. Makes me suspicious of the quality of the water hidden by the dark colouring in coke.

  3. spangled drongo says

    janama, petrol is cheaper than bottled water!

    We’ve got huge stainless steel tankers running non stop from here to the bottled water factory. A mate of mine is making a fortune. I just can’t bring myself to do likewise but I’ve got plenty of beautiful aquifers.
    I suspect it is the soft drink bottlers that are buying and selling it but the carbonated waters take the bulk of the spring water because there is only so much demand for spring water yet the price is kept artificially high to preserve its “desirability”. IOW it is designed for the dickhead market.

  4. janama says

    It’s not quite as simple as that Spangled. A friend was delivering water bottles to businesses in our district but he had a huge filtration system and UV yet the water came from a stream flowing out of world heritage area. You can’t just bottle any old water – it has to pass specific tests.

  5. spangled drongo says

    janama, it’s SUPPOSED to pass specific tests but in our neck otw we have no reticulated water or sewage and when people get their tanks topped up in dry times [from these same commercial bores], not only is the water rarely tested but the tanker drivers cannot issue certificates to say that they are in potable condition either. IOW, that tanker could have just pumped out someone’s septic tank, maybe given it a quick flush and bob’s your uncle, BAU.
    I’m not saying that happens but there is very little supervision to make sure that it doesn’t.
    UV filtration is very good but it is also very slow and I suspect that most times it is dispensed with.
    I’m sure bottled water retailers are aware of this and take precautions but householders?
    Compliance in this regard is woeful.

  6. WJP says

    Bottled water is OK. People want to buy people sell it. Isn’t that economic activity? Taxes and royalties are paid, employment is created. And don’t forget the retail/wholesale equation, the bigger the bottle the lesser the relative $ amount per unit of product. So invariably 600ml costs as much as say one litre etc etc.
    There are far worse products out there than bottled water. Now who wants to argue the virtues of land mines?