Drink From the Tap, or at Least Stop Whining About Gas Prices
Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer–Dave Barry
I hate when people complain about high gas prices while they joyously drink bottled water.
Here’s a quick fact: bottled water can be more expensive than gas. Individually, it might cost $1.00 for a 16 ounce bottle, equating to a whopping $8.00 per gallon. It gets better when you buy in bulk, where a bottle may be as low as 30 cents, but that still equates to $2.40 a gallon.
Just as I avoid paying ATM fees, I avoid drinking bottled water and have forever improved my finances. These small purchases really do add up to savings over a longer time, like a month or a year. By avoiding a $7 case purchase per week, I can stash $365 each year into my savings. In three years, that’s over $1,000 saved because I don’t drink bottled water.
Of course, I would never advocate a position just because it is cheaper. I’ve done some research about my preferences and risks (just as you should) before coming to a conclusion. Here are four key factors I considered before I decided bottled water is not worth $1,000 every three years.
- American tap water is usually safe
“[In general] it is definitely safe for you to turn on the tap,” says Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the non-profit American Water Works Association, which represents 57,000 water industry workers from treatment plant operators to regulators. Compared to other countries, America has one of the best water systems in the world, he says.
- There’s no evidence that bottled water is safer
Despite all the hype, the NRDC concludes, “While much tap water is indeed risky, having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water.” Scientists at the University of Geneva arrived at the same conclusion, and add that, in 50 percent of the cases they studied, the only difference between tap and bottled water was that the latter contained added minerals and salts, “which do not actually mean the water is healthier.” In 1997, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization concluded that bottled water does not have greater nutritional value than tap water.
- Can you taste the difference?
Rarely can people taste a difference between tap and bottled water. Try this test and tell me if you really can differentiate:
1. Take two bottles of your favorite bottled water.
2. Have a friend dump one and fill with regular tap water and mark the bottles in such a way so only he/she can tell them apart.
3. Refrigerate both bottles for two hours so the temperatures are the same.
4. Take the tap water bottled water taste test.
Having trouble telling the difference? While water taste and quality varies depending on location, tap water quality here in the U.S. is generally quite good. In our informal testing, our tasters could not tell the difference between tap water and a leading bottled water brand.
- Bottled water has its own environmental issues (not a direct cost to me, but it is a societal cost)
The WWF argues that the distribution of bottled water requires substantially more fuel than delivering tap water, especially since over 22 million tons of the bottled liquid is transferred each year from country to country. Instead of relying on a mostly preexisting infrastructure of underground pipes and plumbing, delivering bottled water-often from places as far-flung as France, Iceland or Maine-burns fossil fuels and results in the release of thousands of tons of harmful emissions.
Based on these four opinions, I reserve drinking bottled water for emergencies like earthquakes or times when I am on the road and a tap is unavailable.
I’m certainly not a water authority to tell you what to drink, so if you’re still skeptical of tap water, at least consider cheaper alternatives. Bulk delivery waters services can be as low as $1.50 per gallon (seven 5-gallon containers for $52), and filtered water is roughly $0.25 to $0.30 a gallon. Or consider making a bigger change, like installing a household filtration system, which I read some where can average out to as low as $0.07 per gallon.
16 Responses to “Drink From the Tap, or at Least Stop Whining About Gas Prices”
Presh, I have to start heeding your advice because you’re absolutely right. It’s pretty stupid to spend that much money on a case of bottled water when the tap offers the same refreshment for fractions of a penny.
I used to have a Brita back in NJ, not that I’m really THAT worried about getting poisoned by drinking straight from my sink. I guess I’ve just kind of been brainwashed.
Anyway, since moving to Madison I started buying cases of water again. Really stupid right?
Thanks for reminding me I have to go buy a new Brita. Have a great weekend.
By Ryan Paugh on Oct 12, 2007
For a while I’d always just drink tap water, even if it tasted a bit funny at times, but for the most part those differences didn’t bother me.
I had an interesting experience in college however, while living in the dorms the water was fine, but when I moved into an apartment, I started getting thirsty quite an hour after drinking tap water. It seemed like the tap water had something causing me to dehydrate over time!?
I tried drinking tap water for a few weeks, but things did not improve. So, I got a filter and life was good. Next year I moved into a place with two other people from high school. Neither of them wanted to chip in for the filter, tap water was going to be fine for them. Amazingly, both of them came to me independently complaining the tap water made them thirsty after drinking it (the same experience I had). I asked some other high school friends and they all had similar experiences and had purchased filters to solve the problem.
That being said, having a filter still sucks to some degree, tap water being ready the moment you turn on your tap is a pretty large advantage compared to having maintain the filter.
By RohoMech on Oct 12, 2007
@Ryan Paugh: Thanks for sharing. It is amazing how we default on our good habits when we have other things going on, like moving to a new place. During my recent move, I temporarily slipped on my good habit of drinking plenty of water. It wasn’t until my brother pointed this out that I started the good habit again.
@RohoMech: That’s an amusing story about how tap water can make you thirsty. And yes, a filter is annoying when you are sharing the pitcher and other people you live with don’t refill it. That should be a criminal offense.
By Presh on Oct 12, 2007
filters come in handy also because it works as a container to put it in the fridge
bottled water is a waste
By jyu on Oct 13, 2007
Actually, bottled water is becoming a global concern, as certain areas of the world increasingly have problems accessing freshwater, and bottled water keeps getting shipped to areas that do not have a fundamental need for the product.
By anonymous on Oct 14, 2007
Anonymous - So are you saying that bottled water is in short supply in areas which need it, because they’d pay less for it, ie its not a luxury…?
By RohoMech on Oct 16, 2007
I’m saying that the developed world is creating demand for a product they do not need, and therein depriving other, more undeveloped areas of the world of a bare necessity.
Suffice it to say, the freshwater issue will only get worse - both in measures of purity and accessibility - and misdirection of current water supplies (ie; bottled water to America) is just another reason for this problem.
By anonymous on Oct 16, 2007
Filters are nice, but when I had one, I rarely used it. Often I resorted to drinking gatorade rather than filtering water. It is quite easy to tell when a restaurant serves water straight from the tap rather than unfiltered, and the taste test perplexes me as the difference in taste is totally obvious.
My fiance can even taste the difference between bottled water brands (we have blind taste tested this).
I continue to drink bottled water because I drink more water this way, and dehydration tends to be an issue for me.
By Joon on Oct 17, 2007
Joon - Yea, the blind taste tests are a bit annoying *because they always serve the water chilled* Being cold hides the tastes of the minerals etc. Now, to some degree, water in your area might have a particular taste, like coming from a lake / well etc, so in that sense I can see how you’d be able to tell the difference.
By RohoMech on Oct 17, 2007
anonymous - Gotcha, I see what you’re saying.
By RohoMech on Oct 17, 2007
@Joon, RohoMech: I really do want to see you guys do a blind taste test. I mean, people can’t even tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi. I am just curious.
By Presh on Oct 17, 2007
@Presh - Bring it on!
By RohoMech on Oct 17, 2007
There are also studies that say that re-using water bottles can be hazardous to your health, as can leaving bottled water outside/in the car in high temperatures. Some studies go as far as to say that drinking water that has been sitting in a hot car can cause cancer or birth defects in children.
By Kapil on Oct 17, 2007
@Kapil
Yea, it seems that UV light causes the plastic bottles to become bad for you…something about their oils leaking out.
By RohoMech on Oct 25, 2007
On a similar note, BeerMagnet.com has posted a Drinks vs. Gas prices page where you can see what you are actually paying per gallon for some of your favorite drinks.
http://www.beermagnet.com/diversions/beercost.php
By Matt on Jul 27, 2008
Matt: This is a very amusing tool–thanks for the heads up.
By Presh Talwalkar on Jul 29, 2008