Bottled or tap: Where do you stand in Canada's water battle?

Question

According to a recent survey, one-third of Canadian households now use bottled water instead of city water. Many city councilors and schools are fighting back, even going so far as to ban bottled water in some places.

Tell us, how do you like your water, bottled or on tap, and why? Should Canadians use less bottled water?

Canada's growing bottled water battle

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/canada?ch=222566&cl=8524304&lang=

Who's more likely to drink bottled water?

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080625/national/bottled_water

Bottled water verboten at St. John's city hall

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/080625/canada/stjohns_city_water

Answer 1

Bottled water is a necessity in some places. Other than that tap water is perfectly safe, in fact, bottled water isn't as safe as tap water as it isn't sterile.Bottled water is just another soft drink as far as Coca Cola and Pepsi, and others,are concerned...."If you cant beat e'm, join e'm". Tap water in Saskatoon is $2.48/1000 litres.It will cost you anywhere from $500 to $5000 dollars for the same amount in a bottle.And the bottlers use treated city water, then monkey with it. They were forced to state their source , which they now do , reluctantly. !!!

Answer 2

There is no excuse for drinking bottled water in a developed nation. While tap water is of varying quality, it is by no means a health advantage to drink bottled water. If one is concerned about water quality then go get a water filter. The annual cost of maintaining a good quality filter from corporations such as Aquasana or Amway is pennies a liter, as opposed to the exorbitant costs of bottled water. This is course doesn't even mention the ecological costs of using a non renewable resource to produce bottles. A filter is clearly the way to go for your health, wallet and natural environment

Answer 3

Either way, you can't hide from the dangers. If you drink bottled water, it promotes the needless production of plastic, which in turn, pollutes the environment and your body with chemicals.

However, city water is laced with the wonderful chemical Fluoride, which ranks on the toxicity scale between arsenic and lead. Mmmmm! Fluoride is a topical agent, meaning it's meant to be applied, not ingested. On the back on toothpaste, it says 'if ingested, call poison control'. So why on Earth do we drink it???

For those that think bottled water is safer, 33% of bottled water companies violate the inductry standards.

So you're damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Answer 4

I know that in my city, water staff perform over 125,000 water quality tests per year covering over 350 different parameters to ensure safe and palatable drinking water for all users of the municipal distribution system. These tests cover a broad spectrum and provide information on the physical, inorganic, organic, microbiological and radiological characteristics of the water.

But what sways me more in the direction is the costs of producing bottled water.  If you consider ; that it takes petroleum by-products to produce the plastic bottles and petroleum to ship it to markets.  As well, what about all the plastic from these bottles that are ending up back into our landfills?

I am not exactly sure just how many quality assurance tests that the bottle company's have to make to ensure quality... or how many impurities that they do test for; but I do know, that they do not make 125,000 of these quality checks per year.

Tap water is rigorously tested and shipped right to your home ... why would you not drink it?

Answer 5

We use tap water all the time as it is far safer than bottled water and far more environmentally friendly too!  Some cities no longer recycle the plastics that bottled water comes in, and the bottled water industry is less regulated than tap water.  Ontario has some of the most stringent standards and regulations for tap water in Canada and in the world.  Also, most of us are already paying for tap water in our municipal taxes so it's a waste of money buying bottled water.  We're very happy with the taste of our tap water and I know for a fact that Ontario's tap water is very safe.

Answer 6

I drink bottled water because don't like the taste of tap water, in our area the water tastes like chlorine.  I also like the fact that with a water cooler I can have ice cold water when I want.  I do on occasion use a Britta pitcher which I find removes the taste of the chlorine, however the pitcher does not hold enough because we are big water drinkers.

In regards to Canadians using less bottled water, I am on the fence with that one because while I like the taste of bottled water I am also concerned about the environment and the amount of bottles going into the refuse system.

Answer 7

Tap water is my choice when drinking water, taste is the best answer I can give you at this time. Preferably, natural spring water would be my first choice.

Canadians should use less bottled water as our drinking water supply is fairly decent, and continually tested by local and provincial levels to assure quality standards.  I do believe that the use of bottled water should be reserved  for use when going to remote areas where clean water is un-access-able (camping, hiking, etc).

I've also noticed that in major disaster situations the Red Cross along with Bottled Water Company Distributors provide bottled water to those affected, because  local water has been contaminated.  Bottled water supplies should also be provided to our troops when on duty in different parts of the world, to make sure they have clean water at their disposal.  

Bottled water should also be supplied without hesitation by countries like our own to Third World Countries where access to clean water is a major problem for it's people.  Everyone should have access to life's basic needs            (like water) no matter where you live.

Answer 8

There are too many chemicals today in our tap water.  FLOURIDE is a waste product of ALUMINUM along with other chemicals that are in most Canadian municipal supplies of tap water.  If it is so good, why is everyone turning to bottled water?  

Water is meant to be pure and if you choose carefully, the right bottled water that has not been heated or is old, it is a healthier choice.

Answer 9

canadian should use tap water because not only is it healthy but it is a money saver. if you were to calculate, you would spend so much money on bottled water which is not only harmful but is deadly. using less bottled water means you are also helping our threatened envirnment. so canadians should use tap water. In addition, bottled water is said to have a chemical which increased the female hormones in men causing them to have more female characteristics and in females, it increases the changes of puberty causing an 8 year old to go through puberty.

Answer 10

I live in London, Ontario currently and started using bottled water when I lived in Cambridge,Onatrio about 5 years ago. The tap water in Cambridge totally screwed up my coffee maker, smelt like sulphur and left rust like stains everywhere.

I have been drinking bottled water and using it in my coffee maker for about 5 years now and can only say that I have no idea about anyone else ... but bottled water is the only way I go.

I have tasted the tap water in London and was thoroughly unimpressed with the taste.

Maybe all major cities should buy a whole whack of Brita filters or something and try to improve the water quality because they certainly, in my eyes, need to do something about water quality right across Canada.

Answer 11

I use tap water exclusively, except when I am in areas of the world where water purification is in question.

Tap water should be used because there is no evidence that it is inferior to bottled water.

I feel that people should not use bottled water because of the above and also it is an industry that was created by mass advertising and instilling fear in people that tap water is inferior. Particularly aimed at seniors, I do not know what happens to a lot of us when we age because we believe everything we are told.

Answer 12

Doesn't matter for me. I drink tap water and bottled water.

I think using bottled water over tap water is a waste of money, labour and pollution that it takes to make the water bottle. You can get just as good water from your tap, for much cheaper.

Besides, bottled water is pretty much tap water just with minerals. City water is filtered just as well if not more then bottled water. If they didn't, the city government would get sued for dirty water.

Answer 13

Tap, in many areas, the tap water is actually cleaner than the bottled water, and it is cheaper. You pay about $2 for a 12 ounce water bottle, and you are done with it in the next five minutes. Dasani and Aquifina are derived from city water, and cost a lot more. The cit water filtration is so good that they actually add minerals back in to improve the taste. It also requires more energy and resources to drink bottled water, so tap water in on the whole, better.

Answer 14

Let's protect our water and support countries and peoples with out clean potable water. Municipal and federal governments can create and use technologically sound ways to clean water and reduce further pollution. Cooperation is necessary and it won't be easy but faced with the alternatives; landfill waste creation, petroleum dependency, multinational resource acquisition conglomerates and a host of other heartbreaking possibilities, we really have everything to lose.  With out water we die. I use a polypropylene water bottle and a delivery service. Tap water is not as healthy as some would have us believe. It could be better but that would mean being more responsible, as a whole, for our table water, lakes, rivers, tributaries, oceans and seas. We can do this all we have to do is stand up to government and corporate greed to create the change we all need.  Peace earth beings. Let's love our earth.

Answer 15

Canadians should not be drinking out of plastic bottles because the water isn't any better than tap and because it causes a land fill problem as this plastic won't decompose.  Also drinking out of plastic causes a health problem due to leaking of chemicals from the plastic and more especially if the bottle happens to be in the sun or heated in a hot car.  Canada took plastic baby bottles off the market for this reason.

Those likely to drink bottled water are those who won't take the time to fill a non-plastic container with tap water and put it in the fridge!

Answer 16

I used to drink bottled water, but stopped a year ago and switched back to tap. I couldnt keep drinking bottled, knowing the environmental impact in the back of my mind. I can still taste the difference between tap and bottled, but it's an aesthetic difference. There's no real health benefits over either one.

I wonder if bottled water would taste as good to people, if they knew it takes 5 litres of water to produce 1 litre of reverse osmosis bottled water.

Answer 17

In my opinion,the authorities should enforce Canadian citizens to use tap water with filtered instead of drinking water from the bottles. Consuming water from bottles not just mean more waste to the earth but also,it costs more than tap water. Eventhough bottle of water might taste better, i think one of the solutions will be increasing the price of bottled water. This makes Canadians choose tap water instead. Afterall, government recommends to drink water from the tap also so it is safe to drink.

Answer 18

At home, I use the Brita pitcher (and tap water) - while on the go, I usually buy something OTHER than water (pop, iced tea, juice, etc. - but only if I REALLY "need" it).

And at work - I use a refillable container, and the filtered water that they offer (usually with a Crystal Light packet - or something of that nature).

I can't understand how people are WILLING to throw that kind of money around - Gasoline is at around $1.35 per Litre, while Bottled Water works out to about $3 to $4 for a Litre!!!

Add to that the fact that most people throw the bottle away when they're done (and only sometimes in the recycling) - and it takes an even bigger toll.

In the end, it's THEIR money to throw away - but I'll GLADLY keep that cash in MY wallet instead ;);););)

Answer 19

Tap water all the way. If you're concerned about the taste or something else then pick up a brita filter or something like that. Waste of money and bad for the environment to drink bottled.

Also, for those of you who re-fill the bottled water bottles, please stop. Do some research, you'll find that is a big no no. The plastic for those bottles is meant for one use. Re-filling causes the plastic to break down and leach into the water. You are drinking the chemicals in the plastic. If you want to re-fill a bottle, get a Klean Kanteen or some other stainless steel bottle. Great investment for health and the environment.

PS: the government just declared bisphenol-a (the chemical found in many plastic bottles) to be toxic. A ban will probably follow. Don't wait for it. Stop plastic bottles now. Stainless Steel!

Stay healthy everyone.

Answer 20

I drink tap water.

It's tested more often than bottled water, less pollution, less environmental foot print and cheaper.

I put it through a Brita filter for my plants but most of the time for me, I drink it straight from the tap.

We are extremely lucky in Canada that most (but not all) communities have potable water.  There are places in the world where there are bottled water plants but the locals can't afford potable water.

Bottled water is a last resort for me (usually when travelling) when I forget my refillable water bottle.

Answer 21

I drank bottled water for many years. Not any more. I don't like plastic for one thing. Secondly, I work with seniors in health care. I noticed that many of them in their late nineties were drinking tap water and were quite healthy.

I have traveled to Jamaica and Cuba and drank tap water with no problem. I did get Montezuma's Revenge in Mexico the year before they chlorinated the country's water supplies.

I do think that if there is a health advisory about boiling water in certain communities & cities during some periods, all radio, tv and newspapers should be warning the public. Many people aren't aware of these warnings, because not all the media is advertising it. I often hear people say, "I didn't hear anything about that".

Answer 22

I think bottled water is a terrible idea. It's harmful to the environment, and it's probably harmful to humans, as well. It's also very lazy. There's nothing wrong with tap water -- it has less chemicals in it than bottled water, and the chemicals that are in it probably won't hurt people as badly as the chemicals that are in bottled water.

Answer 23

I do not drink bottled water. The price of bottled water is insanely high, relative to the price of the clean and well-tested water that comes from my tap. I don't believe that bottling companies should be making a profit on a commodity to which we are all entitled (which they often buy from the same utilities companies from which we buy). Also, why buy a one-time use plastic bottle (think of the energy used just to make those bottles!) when a glass or reusable plastic container is more sustainable? I believe that people who regularly drink bottled water are disillusioned, ignorant, self-absorbed, or brainwashed about this issue. Why else would people choose it over tap water on a regular basis?

Answer 24

I used to think I could go either way, but have recently purchased a good reusable water so that I can use tap water more.  Bottled water is one of least green things that exists when it comes to food (the energy required to make it possible and the waste that results is abhorable).

It is ridiculously over priced and over-promoted by businesses.  Really its embarrasing when they all have cold taps and in North America, particularily Canada, the highest quality tap water in the world.

Answer 25

While the increase in the production of plastic bottles and their eventual disposal in local landfills is a huge problem for Canada, there are many municipalities that need to address their city water systems.  

Peterborough, ON is a perfect example of why bottled water is so popular.  The water is taken from the local river and tastes like dirt.  Literally.  

While there is a process to remove this odour from the water, the city is too cheap to implement the process.  So, residents are forced to turn to bottled water.

I do believe more citizens should take responsibility for properly recycling plastics.

Answer 26

The reason I do not drink city water, is because of the low standards of testing in the local area.  High levels of mercury the use of fluoride and chlorine are a major concern of mine.  

However most people don't know the source of their bottled water which is a bigger concern.  I drink strictly spring water from BC sources.   Examples of good quality bottled water are " Compliments" ( Sobeys)  in only the 24 pack of 500ml and Co op brand bottled waters.  Always only buy from companies that are providing analysis of the water they want you to drink.  

I do feel it would be better if bottled water came in a glass bottle.  I hate plastic as it leaches into the water and creates landfill problems because of a lack of recycling.

Answer 27

I have to drink filtered water because Im allergic to chlorine. Unfortunately some bottled water is just tap water in a bottle so it is wise to read the label. It is more economical to just buy a water filter, under counter or pitcher style. Thats what I do. It takes out the chemicals and yucky things the city-treated water misses (they operate only on minimum standards and any water source can be naturally high in minerals that unhealthily build up in your body)

Answer 28

Bottled water is an appalling waste of money and just another burden on landfill as many people are still too ignorant and lazy to recycle. Tap water is safe and drinkable in most places I have lived and visited  in Canda , including Toronto,  but it did seem over-chlorinated in London, Ontario.  The profit margins must be huge , when you think that gasoline is as cheap, despite the costs involved in exploiting, refining and distributing it and the 30% or so taxes included in the price.

Bottled water is just another profiteering scam taking advantage of  those addicted to fads,  and the designer and brand  'cool craze' .

Answer 29

Anyone who "prefers" bottled water and TRULY believes that it's "pure" and completely different than filtered tap water is clearly unaware of their surroundings and factual information, followed by plain common sense.

Although bottled water "feels" as though you are doing something right, as well as putting a healther form of sustinence in your body, it's completely rediculous to believe this is true.

As with most products, the media has the vast majority of the world brainwashed into thinking that these bottles are magically being poured from springs located in some random parts in the world.  Or better yet, put into filtering plants which rid the original water of all its bacteria and germation.

Most people on this planet are pure guinea pigs and are so caught up on the mass media and fashion that they cannot use their own mind anymore.  Living for decades with tapwater hadn't hurt anyone in the past but suddenly the world NEEDS bottled water because tap water "tastes" different and is too "toxic" now.  Wake up people!

Answer 30

I live in London, Ontario and don't like to drink anything but London tap water.  I have always associated it with the cleanest water and enjoyed the taste.  Any city I visit I find an odd taste to the water. I know of course it is just because it isn't London water but it doesn't taste right to me.  I moved to Orillia and couldn't stand the tap water. Summertime in Orillia the water would acquire a muddier taste to it, yes even more muddy that the winter water. I always assumed it was due to the boats churning up the lake. Blecch! My girlfriend was from Orillia and hated the Orillia tap water, moved to London and hated the London tap water! I thought she'd like it but she said she could taste and smell the chlorine in it.  Ironically it's that very smell that makes me comfortable with the London tap water. So we have bottled water in the house, we use the large jugs with a pump attached. I however still drink the London tap water, happily.

Answer 31

Tap water all the way.

Bottled water is just a form of privatized water supply - not cool.

Besides, as others have said, the majority of bottled water is re-processed tap water stored in hard plastic - There's no benefit whatesoever to that and it's a total waste of money.

I'm also not a fan of water coolers.  Who wants to drink water that's been stored in a plastic bottle and then run through this machine that likely hasn't been cleaned in ages?  Bacteriafest.