Who Else Wants To Know About Bottled Drinking Water

Bottled Drinking Water

There has been much debate recently as to the quality of tap water and its comparison with bottled drinking water. Natural mineral water, spring water and bottled water in general have become very popular. Water coolers and filtration systems are popping up everywhere. I find it all very confusing. There is so much choice now in what should be a simple item. Water has become big business.

When I ask for some water at a restaurant, what used to be a straightforward request, I am asked a series of questions. Do I want sparkling or still water? Do I want plain water or flavored? I may choose from flavors such as lemon, strawberry or mango. I just want a glass of water! Is bottled drinking water superior to tap water? Some people think so and the debate rages on. Tap water has got a bad image for itself but I can't see anyone being harmed from it. A lot of people have turned away from tap water for reasons of health. They want something more pure, something that is natural with nothing taken away or added.

Some people think that the answer lies in putting tap water through a filter system and that has become big business too. I must admit that having drunk filtered water, it did taste better. I will also admit that I prefer some bottled drinking water to tap water. I find some of it a bit greasy but I like the more expensive ones. If filtered water tastes good and gets rid of the impurities, perhaps that's the road we should all be going down. It's less expensive in the long run and bottled drinking water does have an impact on the environment. All that water, which we could be getting from our taps, is being put in plastic bottles and shipped around the world. Then, we're left with all the empty plastic bottles.

There is a snob value to water now, which is funny when you think about it. It falls from the sky and every one of us would die without it. Some people in developing countries do die because their water supply is contaminated. Despite all this, being seen with the latest French bottled drinking water, scooped at dawn from the crystal clear streams of the Alps by virgins, is a status symbol. So, I'm exaggerating, but not by much. The best water I ever tasted was from a stream in the Scottish Highlands. It must be all that rain.