WATER (tap or bottled)

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So tap water is not filtered and bottled water has been sitting around in a toxic plastic bottle for however long its been on the shelf. Which is best???
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  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
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    bump
  • Twylyght
    Twylyght Posts: 224 Member
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    I have a filter on my faucet and I love the water I get out of there, and I have a water bottle with a filter inside it, so it gets filtered twice...so that's what I like, but it's all what you like so that you get the water into your system.
  • artvandalay
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    Buy a Brita and just drink tap. I don't like water from plastic bottles. I hate the waste from plastic (even tho I recycle), and I don't like water that has been sitting in plastic for who knows how long.

    I have a large SIGG bottle and fill it up with tap water that has been filtered through Brita. If I'm lazy, I skip the Brita and just use tap water. The tap water in my area is really good.
  • a_reyes9288
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    My boyfriend watched this documentary on the dangers of drinking out of manufactured spring water bottles (ex: Poland Spring) and went and bought me a Brita watter bottle that has a built in filter so I can just keep refilling it with tap water.

    Not only does this help escape the toxins involved in both drinking tap water and out of a plastic water bottle, but it's also environment friendly!!

    He said he bought it at Shoprite, give it a try I love it!
  • whittlecj
    whittlecj Posts: 10
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    Depends on your tap water quality. Our city sends out a lab analysis each year of the water, maybe your's does as well so you could see if anything concerns you.


    I prefer filtered tap myself- I hate the excess consumption of water bottles.
  • katiejo2011
    katiejo2011 Posts: 180 Member
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    I really don't think either is better than the other. I like water from the tap with a filter on it. I like my water cold too so I use a water bottle and put ice in it so make it really cold.
  • jkleman79
    jkleman79 Posts: 706 Member
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    If you wanna know about bottled water watch the documentary TAPPED. You will be so grossed out that you will never touch another bottle of water again... It has interviews from the FDA and private labs that test bottled water. It has double the bacteria and chemicals than tap water, city tap water is tested over 300 times a month by the EPA bottled water is not tested at all. FDA only regulates bottled water that crosses state lines anything bottled and sold in the same state is not regulated AT ALL. Per the FDA bottled water regulation for the entire country is ONE did I mention ONE persons part time job. Not counting the amount of waste we are adding to the planet....

    K there is my soap box!!! =0)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    So tap water is not filtered and bottled water has been sitting around in a toxic plastic bottle for however long its been on the shelf. Which is best???

    Most areas of the US actually have pretty good tap water.

    I have a HUGE Brita filter similar to this one: http://www.brita.com/products/water-dispensers/ultramax/

    I fill a BPA-free, 24oz water bottle from it several times per day.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Depends on your tap water quality. Our city sends out a lab analysis each year of the water, maybe your's does as well so you could see if anything concerns you.


    I prefer filtered tap myself- I hate the excess consumption of water bottles.

    I the US, you can contact your local health department and get the most recent testing results for your local water supply.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    I filter my water on demand.

    Depending on your water source, the age and type of plumbing in your house, etc... you may or may not simply be able to install a simple carbon filter to the faucet on your kitchen sink, which will improve the 'taste' of your tap water. (Remember clean pure water is not supposed to have a taste).

    Or if your Frig has the water dispenser you are more than likely having some type of carbon filtration going on there as well.

    If your tap water is a concern to you (and you choose not to have it tested and filtered) then you may need to seek out a clean water source for drinking.

    Bottled water may or may not be 'fresh' but if you had it tested you may find that it is 'acceptable' for drinking.

    Good luck with what ever you do, this lifestyle includes the intake of more water than most of us have ever done before. I think it is important to make that water clean and safe.
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    Depends on your tap water quality. Our city sends out a lab analysis each year of the water, maybe your's does as well so you could see if anything concerns you.
    I prefer filtered tap myself- I hate the excess consumption of water bottles.
    I the US, you can contact your local health department and get the most recent testing results for your local water supply.

    This source based testing doesn't test the point of contact (your faucet). If you live in an 'older' building/home with suspect plumbing the water maybe leaching metals/other things from the piping between the source and the tap.

    Chlorine is the treatment of choice for most shared water supplies, which is not desirable in drinking water.
  • ruffledviolet
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    I gave up bottled water for the year of 2011. It is absolutely horrible for the planet. It wastes so much energy. It wastes loads of water to just produce one bottle. I could go on forever.
    I filter my tap now, but I used to always drink unfiltered tap and never had any health issues because of it.
    Unless you're in a third world country, there really is no reason to drink bottled. Don't fall into the marketing trap.
  • jkleman79
    jkleman79 Posts: 706 Member
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    I gave up bottled water for the year of 2011. It is absolutely horrible for the planet. It wastes so much energy. It wastes loads of water to just produce one bottle. I could go on forever.
    I filter my tap now, but I used to always drink unfiltered tap and never had any health issues because of it.
    Unless you're in a third world country, there really is no reason to drink bottled. Don't fall into the marketing trap.

    CONGRATS!!! There is actually over a dozen areas between the US and Canada putting in place legislation to ban the sale of bottled water. THANK GOD! =0)
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
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    I, too, use a brita filter. When I lived with my parents we had a well and I drank tap, but now "city" water it tastes funky to me. The brita helps though.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I don't think there is going to be too much difference - the main thing is to be drinking your water.
  • e1lindsay
    e1lindsay Posts: 230
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    we live in the country and our tap water is terrible! we even filter the dogs' drinking water with a brita pitcher, lol, but i refill gallon jugs at the water dispenser at our local grocery store for us and i have a re-usable water bottle that i use throughout the day...
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    Private wells (single homeowner) requires no testing accept during the purchase/sale/refi of the home.

    Share community wells (small collection of houses sharing a well system) may require some regular testing of the output to ensure some quality standards.

    Well water is an AS-IS crap shoot. You could have very nice or very bad well water. Hardness, iron, acidity, sulphides (rotten egg odor) and more (unhealthy things you can't see or taste) could be in your private well water. (Probably not DON'T PANIC).

    If you have concerns you can have your private well water tested. There are low cost fixes and high cost fixes and every situation (set of factors) may be need something different.
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
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    in my small town tap water is horrible-I didn't notice the difference until I started drinking more water at work (from a big plastic water dispenser). For the house I want to get a filter on the faucet to help that. I rarely buy bottled water (parties only since people get grossed out by our yellow water!)

    I don't care for the extra waste bottle make so I buy the gallon jugs and refill them for less$ when needed.
  • jmijaressf
    jmijaressf Posts: 215
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    Brita filters are good, but I like drinking tea in the mornings so I just use a huge kettle and boil the water in that. When it cools down, I have decent drinking water for the rest of the day. Boiling will at least kill any bacteria and burn off any chemicals. Not good for particles though if that's not filtered out...
  • ZebraHead
    ZebraHead Posts: 15,207 Member
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    in my small town tap water is horrible-I didn't notice the difference until I started drinking more water at work (from a big plastic water dispenser). For the house I want to get a filter on the faucet to help that. I rarely buy bottled water (parties only since people get grossed out by our yellow water!)

    I don't care for the extra waste bottle make so I buy the gallon jugs and refill them for less$ when needed.

    You could have a local water treament company (Rainsoft/Culligan, etc.. ) come and test your water (I'd invite them all) they will test for free. (They may give you the old sales pitch) but at least you would have a better idea about your tap water and what it may be doing to you and/or your house.