Below is an email I received today regarding my bottled water post. The email is in its original form, except  for the fact that I deleted his full name and address. My response follows the email.

Happy Housewife,

Just read your post regarding bottled water.  I can assure you that the “news” came from a source (the Environmental Working Group) that really skewed the facts.  Bottled water is completely safe, the bottles harmless and fully recyclable.

The testing that was done was based on the faulty premise that if any substance is present in a bottled water product – even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set – then it’s a health concern.  It’s really a shame to cause this type of panic for consumers.  And if we want to compare apples to apples, do a Google news search for “Miami Nestle fecal tap” to see what I mean.
The group that did the report was critical of the bottled water brands found to contain fluoride. However, fluoride can prevent tooth decay and the American Dental Association has stated that “Whether you drink fluoridated water from the tap or buy it in a bottle, you’re doing the right thing for your oral health.”  Moreover, the levels of fluoride found in the bottled water tested by the EWG were all in compliance with the applicable FDA standards.
The report also looked at science on ten brands of bottled water in nine states and the District of Columbia. That is not a representative sample of bottled water products, which the report acknowledges, as there are several hundred other brands out there.  The testing results show that only two brands didn’t meet a California state standard for one regulated substance.
And, while bottled water products should always comply with all established regulatory standards, the California requirement for this substance is eight times lower than the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard of quality for bottled water and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level for tap water.
Regarding your comment on Brita filters, unfortunately, are actually very wasteful.  The Clorox company, which makes them, does not have a program in place to recycle the filters, so they actually end up in landfills.  (see www.takebackthefilter.com)

To really do good to the environment, people need to stop concerning themselves with only bottled water and take a look at the entire packaged food and beverage industry – how can we cut down on ALL packages, not just one small segment of the industry?  And just think: if your tap goes bad (in a pipe break, boil alert, emergency)…where do you get water?  Do you really think it’s feasible to carry a bottle around everywhere you go?

If you’d like more information, I work with the International Bottled Water Association and would be happy to provide you with factual information – not skewed…IBWA supports tap water systems and recycling programs and is not trying to hide anything – that you may need.

Best,

Jeff

My response

Dear Mr. Kelley,
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and respond to my post on bottled water. It was not my goal to prove that bottled water is harmful ( I don’t believe that it is), but rather that it is wasteful and expensive. According to my quick calculations bottled water costs approximately $0.02 an ounce while water from a Brita pitcher costs $0.001 per ounce. I realize that while the Brita filter may not be recyclable, one filter provides as much water as 320 16 ounce bottles of water. While the bottles are recyclable, I know that many end up in the garbage can, especially when people are out of their homes.
Regular readers of my blog know that I am not picking on bottled water. I often post about wasteful packaging and nutritional deficits of processed food. As for my family, we buy much of our food in bulk and I avoid most processed food altogether. People who know me personally can attest to the fact that I always carry water with me in my own container.
I agree with you that there is a place in our lives for bottled water. As someone who grew up in Florida I have seen the power of many hurricanes and have gone for days without power and access to food and water aside from what was already in our home. It is a good idea to have water stored in your home for such emergencies. Our family also loves to camp and we usually purchase bottled water for our trips because we do not own enough containers to supply our water needs for three days.
I appreciate you sharing the other side of the story. It is not my intention to cause a widespread panic over bottled water. It is my goal to help my readers save money, reduce their household waste, and lead healthy and happier lives. If you have any information regarding the storing and shelf life of bottled water in relation to emergencies I would love to pass it on to my readers.
Thank you again for your time.

Jeff’s response

Toni,

I do appreciate your reply, and I can assure you you’re one of many out there who have similar opinions.  We really respect when people are at least willing to hear – and respond – to the industry’s side of the story.  Many “environmentalists” out there take any report against bottled water as fact, when, in fact, it really is inaccurate.

The industry outwardly admits plastics aren’t the best for the environment.  And the industry admits that tap water is perfectly fine.  Many environmentalists, who call water a “necessity to human life,” believe water should be free.  Well, should all food be free?  Should all shelter?  Even tap water isn’t free, like you said.  Bottled and tap is the difference between buying steak at the store or getting a slightly nicer cut prepared by a professional, at a steakhouse.  (Bad analogy?

We just want opponents of bottled water to come to an agreement that tap water is not always suitable, and bottled water is a necessity in many places and circumstances.  We admit it, and so should they.  Bottled is not the same as tap water (you are paying for additional purification/treatment/a private product that sometimes comes straight out of the ground, as opposed to tap, which runs through municipal streams), and is under just-as-heavy regulations as tap water.

I appreciate you listening and encourage you to encourage others to do the same, and happy blogging!

Jeff

My final thoughts.

I really appreciate Jeff taking the time to respond to a little ol’ blogger like myself. As I alluded to in my response to him, the purpose of this blog has always been to encourage readers to live thriftier, greener, and happier lives. If drinking bottled water is the only way you are going to drink water throughout the day then go for it, just don’t email me with your financial troubles . And please recycle your bottles.

I don’t know if I agree with Jeff on his position that bottled water is not the same as tap water, as there have been studies that have shown they are very similar. I however, do not have the time to research this in depth, so I am thankful Jeff took the time to share his side of the story.

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