Bottled Water is Bad

Yes, you read that right: Bottled water is bad.

Why?

Well, it privatizes and commercializes our water supply. Bottled water creates lots of, well, bottles. Plastic bottles. More petroleum usage getting the water from point A to point B.

Save Our Groundwater has some helpful hints:

What You Can Do:

1. Bottle your own from your faucet! Carry a water bottle and drink from your own watershed. Know where your water comes from.

2. Contact your town’s selectmen, city council or other local officials to learn what your town is doing to protect and sustain drinking water supplies for businesses, homeowners and the environment.

3. Check to see if aquifer protection zoning exists in your community—and if not, start the effort to protect your town’s water supply.

4. Call your state legislators and ask them if your state has groundwater protection laws. If you do, get familiar with it and determine if it is sufficient to stop corporate water raiders.

5. Ask your state legislators to support bills protecting the state’s freshwater resources—both surface waters and groundwater. Ask them what they are doing to provide greater local control over community water resources.

6. Write or send a fax to your Congressional delegation asking them to initiate legislation to keep our country’s water in the public trust.

7. Raise the concerns about corporate ownership of our freshwater resources in your faith community. How are we called to be faithful stewards of our planet’s natural resources?

8. Teach the young people in your schools about the importance of protecting the Earth’s limited freshwater resources. Create a club or program that young people can join to learn about and protect the watersheds their drinking water depends on.

9. Help your local conservation committee or one of the many environmental organizations striving to protect water in the public trust.

10. Circulate SOG’s Groundwater Times in your town and local organizations.

11. Conserve water at home, at work, at play. Future generations of life depend on our actions.

12. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. You could write thanking them for coverage or asking for more coverage. Discuss your water resources concerns. This can be done via email. Please be sure to send a daytime phone number where the newspaper can reach you to verify it was sent by you.

I’ve talked about this in my personal life a few times. Most people agree with the stance, then go on to say “but my town water is disgusting. No one can drink it unless you use a filter of some sort.” Most municipalities have strict guidelines regarding drinking water. You tap isn’t as bad as you think it is. Research your area to find out where your water comes from, how it gets there, and what’s in it. Have your water tested.

I’m often seen with a bottle of water in my hand. But when you look closely you’ll see the bottle is own and wrinkled. And when asked, I say “it’s tap water.”