Bottled water is supposedly so “wasteful” that the U.S. Conference of Mayors had to issue a resolution calling on governments to stop buying it. But what do they say when government tap water fails to meet safety standards? Drink bottled water! That is one of the recommendations offered by public officials in Pembroke, Massachusetts, which discovered E. coli bacteria in its water supply. Governments often buy, or seek donations of, large amounts of bottled water to use in such emergencies. And they seek bottled water not only during major weather events. Tap water systems periodically have water quality problems for a variety of reasons that warrant “boil water alerts” and/or distribution of bottled water.
Public officials should remember before they tax, ban, or otherwise discredit the bottled water industry that, when push comes to shove, bottled water meets the needs of those people who choose to buy it—including government itself. And if officials are going to ask bottled water companies to provide their water for free in times of emergency (as they often voluntarily do), they would be wise not to put them out of business beforehand!
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There are many other means of planning for emergencies and acquiring alternative water sources than bottled water. That said, sometimes bottled water does have a place, namely during emergencies.
You’re citing of the recent US Conference of Mayors resolution is a red herring. That referrs to BUYING bottled water for public meetings, events and staff when there is perfectly good tap water available. Sustainability and ethical issues aside, I feel that my local government can spend our money working on big issues like infrastructure. Not overmarketed conveniences such as bottled water.
Some tap water has objectionable taste or odor. It is also subjected to the condition of the conduit from the source to the point of use; not to mention that chlorine, THMs, fluoride, trace metals and pharmaceuticals can be present under EPA standards.
All that noted, tap is basically safe and the best choice for our citizens. We have invested billions of dollars building the treatment plants and infrastructure to have potable water available everywhere. There is no need to use fuel for large trucks or plastic production to deliver water.
For those of us that prefer contaminant free water from the tap, I find a reverse osmosis water cooler is a great solution. It purifies tap water at the point of use. This eliminates the objectionable elements of tap, while leveraging the municipal infrastructure. It is the next generation drinking water service and the green alternative to bottled water.
Aqua Systems leases multistage reverse osmosis water coolers that employ a pH carbon filter that adds back calcium and magnesium after the reverse osmosis process. It is also possible to install the systems as “zero waste” systems by returning the waste water to the hot water side of the plumbing systems with the right check valve and pressure regulator. These adaptations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a point of use purification system that leverages the advantages of municipal tap water. Our bottleless water coolers represent the next generation of drinking water service.