The Big Bottled Water Problem

Any readers that were working in downtown Toronto in 1972 might still remember the day when the first water coolers debuted in their office. It was a small innovation that created a profound ‘social revolution’ in the professional landscape - water cooler gossip was born.

 
That day also marks the first time those space age clear plastic five gallon jugs were used in the commidification of public drinking water; it was possible only because of mass production, and the proliferation of injection molding technology, and the maturation of the plastic resins industry, and of course the abundance of cheap oil. But one thing above all else helped put those big jugs on the shelf - urban myths about the fallibility of the public water supply.

 

Indeed it was in the nineteen seventies when these urban myths started, around those new water coolers. ‘Town water filters through industrial parks, sewers and graveyards, before it reaches your lips.’ That was the big ‘urban myth’ that birthed an entire new subsection of the beverage industry. ‘Purified water’ was born.

 

Few people know that purified water is just tap water that has been treated to improve taste, and quality. Spring water is water that flows naturally from the earth and has been collected at the source. Mineral Water is spring water with dissolved minerals, no more than 250 parts per million, that come directly from the source.

Fuel Ghoul can remember, not too long ago, when the bottled water section at the grocery store was primarily devoted to a few gallon jugs of distilled water. Today, the bottled water is expansive; it’s a major section of the beverage aisle and enjoys the prestige of being the fastest growing, and most profitable segment of the entire beverage industry.

 
In 2006, the total sales for bottled water in North America was estimated to be around 100 billion (US) dollars annually, and what’s more disturbing is that it’s increasing at a remarkable seven percent growth rate annually. http://www.bottledwaterblues.com/

 
The large demand is driven by several factors, including perceived convenience, perceived safety versus municipal water, and perceived potability with taste advantages over municipal water. And of course packaging and advertising work to foster these perceptions - brand bottled water is very similar to branded soft drinks. Two of the largest bottled water sellers, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, use municipal water. The unprecedented demand for their products increases demand for public water, which they purchase at a substantially lower price than households are asked to pay. 1.wiki

 
Experts speculate that if the trend for bottled water consumption continues, it could lead to the privatization of municipal water supplies.

The classic urban myths are still popular today -  according to the National Water Quality Association,  56% of North Americans are worried about the quality of municipally treated tap water. This, along with the desire for better tasting drinking water, has fueled the tremendous growth of the bottled water industry.

Proponents of Bottled Water still actively perpetuate these urban myths. Look at the CBWA, the Canadian Bottled Water Association which continues to propagate the idea of unsafe tap water by addressing all the scary things that people have ‘heard’ about inside public systems.(Fuel Ghoul is loath to provide these people with ANY exposure but yet I must expose their methods) Look here how they sow the seeds of doubt.  7) I've heard of cryptosporidium and giardia being found in tap water. What are they? Cryptosporidium is a water borne parasite that lives in hooved animals and can be passed into surface water through their waste. Cryptosporidium from animal wastes have been found in rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and many other types of surface water. Infection can last for months and can be fatal.

Without actually typing it, the CBWA reinforces the fallibility of municipal water.

David Suzuki was very critical of bottled water on CBC television earlier this year  when he told viewers that even when traveling, he always insists on being refreshed with municipal water, served in a glass. Mr. Suzuki informed everyone that tap water comes to us through an energy-efficient infrastructure, while bottled water is often transported long distances--and nearly one-fourth of it across national borders--by boat, train, airplane, and truck.

 
Do you feel better because you recycle those plastic water bottles?

More often than not, the empty plastic bottle is discarded in the nearest trash pail without thought by the consumer. According to the Container Recycling Institute, eighty six percent of plastic water bottles used in the United States are not recycled, and end up in public landfill sites. Incinerating these plastic bottles produces toxic byproducts such as chlorine gas and ash containing heavy metals tied to a host of human and animal health problems. On average, buried water bottles take over 1,000 years to breakdown. More than 40% of the water bottles that are recycled in North America are shipped to China for processing, so even more fossil fuel in expended in the cycle.

Social action and mass public re-education is required to break this evil health trend. Fuel Ghoul recognizes that at least three online environmentally friendly web site communities, Lime.com and Treehugger.com, and WonderCafe.ca are spreading the word to their memberships. These recruits will tell friends who are off line, or on other social networks. Working together in this manner social networks can form political constituencies and solidify positive change.

In August 2006, the United Church of Canada tabled a motion at its general council meeting to ask members to stop buying bottled water as a protest against the privatization of water supplies. Today the UCC sponsored WonderCafe.ca hosts frequent discussions on the subject.

A campaign called “Refill Not Landfill”  is urging all of us to sign a pledge to boycott water bottles for a week, a month or a year. Fuel Ghoul has discovered that this campaign was launched by Nalgene, a company that makes reusable polycarbonate bottles. It seems proceeds from the campaign go to renewable-energy projects.

 

If the anti-bottle bandwagon succeeds, it may not be long before the ubiquitous bottle of Evian or Dasani will disappear from movie star’s hands and hopefully, store shelves. But what will take its place? Probably a reusable bottle – something you can fill and refill with tap water.

 
Let’s make bottled water the next victim of our crusading environmentalism. If you are concerned about your water and wish to purchase a filter, Fuel Ghoul found this handy comparison chart.

http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/Water_Filter_Comparison_Matrix.cfm

 

Comments

[Ben Mawhinney]

Hey Fuel Ghoul!

Did I read somewhere last week that your Tasseomancing friends recommend that the ideal cup of coffee should only be made with water that was somewhere between 80 and 90 degrees celsius?

We've got this mysterious new "energy efficient" hot water heating device that is supposed to give you a cup of boiling water in 3 seconds.

The mathematics suggest that this should be impossible! What does The Ghoul think?

Here's the link to the product on Ethical Superstore...

http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/tefal/tefal-quick-cup-the-environmentally-friendly-green-kettle/