So, I don't drink bottled water. Heck, I don't drink water at all (well, what doesn't HAVE water IN IT?) And I happen to think that people who buy bottled water are just plain foolish (sorry to say.) Why spend money on something that is nearly free from your tap? It just doesn't make any sense, and I think a lot of people think they look cool and trendy with their bottled water (which is usually tap water itself put into bottls.)
According to a 20/20 report, over 25% of bottled water out there is just tap water from the cities they're bottled in. Aquafina water comes from the Detroit River, for example. John Stossel did the segment on tap water on the show a week ago, and it turns out- in blind taste tests they did, most people rated NYC tap water the best and the bottled water the lowest in flavor.
That's another thing- to all those bottled water drinkers out there...I have sad news for you. Water doesn't really HAVE a taste. It's water! It always confuses me when people complain about water tasting bad. Unless they're drinking water out of some gross pipes, it shouldn't really taste like anything at all. Water itself doesn't taste like anything...which is why it can be used in any beverage out there- you have a liquid without taste that can be put into something else with taste added.
Okay, so technically, water will sometimes have a taste due to the pipes it goes thru (and come on, that's just scary to think about- the pipes? What is it in the pipes that is making its way into your drinking water?!) and the source the water comes from...even water that isn't from the tap (from a spring for example) isn't just water they scooped out of some river or lake. It was processed somehow, to remove anything that might be in the water that might be harmful or cause a bad taste...so, even then, what exactly would there be to taste?
In the 20/20 tests, the most expensive bottled water- Evian, was rated as the worst tasting (again, I'm not sure what these people think it is they're tasting, but either way- it was the lowest rated, and it costs $1.69 a bottle. When you think of bottled water prices, ALL of these waters (even the cheapest brands) cost more than a gallon of gasoline! Now, I can see spending the average price to get from point A to point B, but spending twice as much, sometimes 3 or 4 timea as much as a gallon of gas for water that probably came from the tap, just from a different city, I will never understand that logic.
As for health benefits- every test out there has proven one thing- there is no health difference between tap water and bottled water. This should be common sense, because water is so basic, it's so empty of anything that is really beneficial or harmful to you health-wise, that it shouldn't be a surprise that neither bottled or tap water has any difference in regards to your "health."
If you're willing to spend a dollar-something on a bottle of water, I say pick out a nice bottle of juice...now juice is some good stuff. Anyhow, what is juice but a lot of water with some fruit flavor? See? You'll still be drinking water. It'll only be cheaper and it'll taste like something. You can thank me later.
Water can and does have a taste because it usually has minerals in it and municipal water usually has additives like flouride and chlorine.
Go get some PURE distilled water, sometime. It's really quite strange (and not pleasant) to drink. Even water from the cleanest lake is still not pure.
While I agree with your opening statement much of the rest of what you say merely consists of an ignorant rant.
Water is perfectly capable of having a taste. This is from naturally occuring minerals and metals present in the water. Some bottled water even has a list of total dissolved solids in parts per million, but regardless of if it is listed or not all water, except distilled, contains substances which give it a taste.
The statement that water is "...empty of anything that is really beneficial or harmful" is completely insane. There are many examples of water containing naturally occuring chemicals, such as arsenic, which are extremely harmful to human health. This doesn't even take into account contaminants introduced to the water table by human activity, or even chlorine "purification."
It is also generally accepted that the dissolved minerals in water are quite important to health, and some studies even claim that drinking distilled water is dangerous to your health.
1. i specifically said that minerals added to the water might add a bit of taste, but that overall theres little to no taste to most waters. the taste tests on 20/20 and other shows have shown that people nearly always THINK it has a great taste simply because its in a fancy bottle (they used a garden hose to fill fancy bottles at a high price restaurant, and everyone raved about how great the fancy (tap from the outside tap) was.)
2. there are no studies that show distilled water is dangerous.
3. arsenic? because your drinking water has HIGH levels of ANY chemical. (it doesnt.)
tell me what is really in evian and then i'll beleve you!!!