Do you drink bottled water?

Australian Town Bans Bottled Water

The small Australian town of Bundanoon just set a new standard for sustainability by voting to do what no community has ever done before: ban bottled water! The measure was founded over concerns about the tremendous amount of resources used to extract, package, and transport bottled water, and it passed nearly unanimously in a town hall meeting. Will this be the beginning of a trend?

Although Bundanoon is a small community of about 2,500 residents, the decision to ban bottled water sets a great example for towns and cities around the world. The decision to ban bottled water began as a response to the desire of a bottling company to extract water from the town, take it to Sydney, and bring it back to the town to sell it. After the town learned of the environmental impacts of this cycle they decided to do something about it.

All the shops in the town agreed to the measure, and now instead of bottled water the town will install filtered water fountains so that people can fill their reusable bottles free of charge. The shops will sell these reusable containers to visitors coming to the town.



It's funny that first world countries sell so much bottled water...

These babies are going to be pissed right off....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_UxhPbMyy8

Pretty bitchin idea. I don't drink bottled water, no. I fill up a pitcher from the sink and stick it in the fridge.

I typically drink from the tap with some ice cubes, which are also filled from the tap.

ZOMG the polluted tap water........

I figure cavemen drank puddles that early mammals pissed in and lived, my tap can't be much worse.

Experience has taught me that I'm more likely to drink
water if it's coming out of a bottle. It's completely irrational
because my city has great tap water all year, but that's
the way my head works.

I'd have no objection if the whole industry went away, though.
Might help/force me to do the sensible thing.

I think it's a bad idea unless they institute some measure for constantly checking the state of the throughput pipes and dispensing areas. Bottled water is no different than municipal water at the municipal water source. The word 'source' is pretty key.

I figure cavemen drank puddles that early mammals pissed in and lived, my tap can't be much worse.

I figure the only reason humanity exists today is because of fermentation. But, if you are a caveman, I'm sure you have a great job in insurance and easy living now.

What is a bad idea? Bottled water in general or the ban this town has implemented?

Isetnefret wrote:What is a bad idea? Bottled water in general or the ban this town has implemented?

Bottled water is implemented poorly, but tap water also has relatively little work that I know of in checking how good the water is at its destination. Take, for example, public areas with water fountains. They have a higher probability of being substantially less 'pure.'

That's not to say it isn't safe by any means. I routinely use water fountains at my college and think they are fine even though not as kept up as I'd most want.

I know that here in Missouri, there are state regulations for public water quality. It covers the entire delivery system until it connects to private plumbing.

I am assuming there are federal regulations as well, but I could be wrong.

If they do exist, the state ones here are more stringent. (Kind of like how some states have a higher minimum wage than the Federal minimum).


That's not to say your campus maintenance crew keeps up their end...

In general, I'm against bans like this. If people want to pay for bottled water, let them.

I understand the pollution issue, but there are for more polluting activities that would be easier to stop.

That said, I also think bottled water is kind of ridiculous if you live in a country/area with any kind of "modern" water treatment program...which should include about 99% of the United States.

I have no clue about Europe, but I'm guessing that most countries over there have even more strict regulations than we do.

I think buying bottled water is rather silly, but I also wonder how many people will simply switch to other bottled beverages as a result instead of switching to reusable water bottles. Personally, I think the right thing to do in this sort of situation is a bottle deposit (or if even recycling isn't considered environmentally friendly, a straight tax on bottled beverages, all of them rather than just water). Build the environmental cost into the purchase price of the item and allow people to make their own decisions rather than playing "government knows best".

I drink kool-aid.

Kind of what I was getting at Dorvan....are they also going to ban bottles of flavored, sugared water (soda)?

Seems kind of pointless.....cans of food? Bottles of soda? There are a ZILLION things that all have the same ultimate problem.

Columbia, MO deals with it by having a fairly decent city-wide recycling program. As a result of the program, until some recent dissent, the program has reduced the average cost of public works provided by the city, since it does actually turn a profit for the city which is partially used to subsidize trash/sewer/water services.

So are they also banning Bottled Coke? It's the same bottle type... so is that banned too? Well at least i think it's the same type of bottle, correct me if I'm wrong. I drink so much soda, we have the fullest recycling can in the neighborhood cuz of that lol. We buy in bulk in Costco though and the aluminum ones.

The water supply in first world countries is so advanced, the water from your tap is usually cleaner than the bottled water.

Bottled water is bullshit.

The water supply in first world countries is so advanced, the water from your tap is usually cleaner than the bottled water.

For what it's worth, bottled water sometimes is tap water (they buy it from a municipal source).

There's an argument that bottled water isn't as clean as tap water because the EPA regulates tap water with very strict rules. Bottled water is covered by the FDA which allows a lot more leniency. The counter-argument is "last mile" problems that might happen with tap water.

Naturally the EPA and FDA are US agencies, but I assume other countries have their own set ups.