Like your ballygowan/perrier/evian?

nilhg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/7247130.stm

Producing and delivering a litre of bottled water emits hundreds of times as much greenhouse gas as a litre of tap water.

Then you've got the plastic, only one quarter of which is recycled or the glass that eats so much energy to make and re-use.

Seems as if one of the great marketing successes of our time is going to come under pressure.

SeanW

I very rarely buy bottled water - primarily because I can get nearly as good from the tap without the €1.50 cost. Bottle refilling FTW!

I always wondered why bottling water became such a big business?

djpbarry

SeanW wrote: »

I always wondered why bottling water became such a big business?

It's a triumph of marketing alright; I've never quite understood it myself. I think a lot of people genuinely believe it's healthier than drinking tap water.

Tails142

I always used to laugh at people buying bottled water - but then I moved into an apartment where the water tastes like cock flavoured lollipops and I understood. Always have a few bottles around the place and when I'm out I sometimes buy bottled water as I've grown sick of buying fizzy drinks.

piraka

I have taken to drinking and using bottle water in cooking ever since tap water started to smell and taste of chlorine, especially after heavy rainfall

djpbarry

Tails142 wrote: »

I always used to laugh at people buying bottled water - but then I moved into an apartment where the water tastes like cock flavoured lollipops and I understood.

piraka wrote: »

I have taken to drinking and using bottle water in cooking ever since tap water started to smell and taste of chlorine, especially after heavy rainfall

Lads, if ye're water really tastes that bad then your local council should be doing something about it - complain to them. In the mean time, why not buy a water filter?

DadaKopf

Yeah! Bottled water makes me wanna wretch! Now, I have a bottle of Volvic on my desk at work, but in the past 3 months I must have filled it 200 times.

Triumph of marketing alright. I've often wondered about the psychology behind it. I'm sure it has something to do with purity and advertising-induced insecurity. 'Drink this bottled water and you will be cleansed'.

Have you guys noticed how advertising doesn't sell products or lifestyles, it sells insecurity.

piraka

djpbarry wrote: »

Lads, if ye're water really tastes that bad then your local council should be doing something about it - complain to them. In the mean time, why not buy a water filter?

I'm sick in the face complaining. Why should I have to install a water filter. That's akin to buying bottled water.

djpbarry

piraka wrote: »

Why should I have to install a water filter. That's akin to buying bottled water.

Not really - it's a hell of a lot cheaper.

DadaKopf

You're right, you shouldn't have to when local authorities should provide clean, fresh water themselves.

ircoha

Just watched the programme.

The main problem I see with this issue is that there is no attempt to promote some form of a viable alternative for the situations where liquid, not just water is required. All very fine for the DEFRA head to replace bottled water with a servant running around with jugs of prozac tinted thames tap water.

Take anything from a simple walk in the countryside to sporting events: what is the alternative to liquid replenishment using plastic bottles?.

Glass seemingly has an even bigger carbon footprint.

So what is the alternative: there are serious health issues with refilling plastic bottles unless they are properly sterilised, which usually shrinks them:)

stick-dan

Pity for you al not leaving in the country side, well those that dont. It is a common find that pure country water is much nicer than everyday bottled water. I love country water. Hate living in the town and drinking its water during the week but its ok because once the weekend comes i get the best water in the land again

blindman

Reading this thread made me thirsty.

djpbarry

ircoha wrote: »

So what is the alternative: there are serious health issues with refilling plastic bottles unless they are properly sterilised, which usually shrinks them

Why can't you just wash the thing? Or sterilise it with white spirit if you want to be REALLY safe.

Parnassia

You can buy reusable bottles, e.g. Sigg bottles. Just wash them after use.

probe

Most bottled water sold in Ireland is of poor quality. Just look at the label (not to mention the price ticket) before you buy.

I have a bottle of Vittel in front of me, purchased in France. Delivered by low CO2 electric rail freight.

Price: 57c for a 1.5 litre bottle

Calcium 203.8 mg/l (very high, good for you)
Magnesium 43.1 mg/1 (very high, good for you)
Sodium 5 mg/l (very low – the lower the better – it causes high blood pressure and cardio probs)

Compare with your average bottle of water in Ireland:

The price will be around twice as high in IRL.
The calcium levels in bottled water in Ireland are typically about a quarter of the above.
The sodium levels in Irish bottled water are typically 3 to 6 times as high.

Even the Vittel branded water sold in Ireland (by Coca Cola) has far lower calcium and far higher sodium than the real Vittel sold in France. Fake Vittel? One wonders where they get it from?

There is no point in buying bottled water if it has nothing to offer over tap water.

There is one area where bottled water beats tap water in Ireland. It is not compulsorily medicated.
This is 2008 – not 1948. Most people wash their teeth regularly. Despite this fact, the Irish state continues to medicate the masses via the public water supply with fluoride. A chemical virtually everybody is receiving a more than adequate dose of in their toothpaste. Ireland – a nation overdosed with fluoride due to government incompetence, intrangence and out of date thinking.

Is it too much to expect a clean, healthy, drugfree, un-medicated water supply in Ireland 2008?

.probe

Capt'n Midnight

probe wrote:

There is one area where bottled water beats tap water in Ireland. It is not compulsorily medicated.
This is 2008 – not 1948. Most people wash their teeth regularly. Despite this fact, the Irish state continues to medicate the masses via the public water supply with fluoride. A chemical virtually everybody is receiving a more than adequate dose of in their toothpaste. Ireland – a nation overdosed with fluoride due to government incompetence, intrangence and out of date thinking.

Dental health down here is better than up north, major difference is Flororide.

Tesco's have some Italian water in glass bottles at a daft price somethng like €6 a litre !

AngryHippie

ircoha wrote: »

The main problem I see with this issue is that there is no attempt to promote some form of a viable alternative for the situations where liquid, not just water is required. All very fine for the DEFRA head to replace bottled water with a servant running around with jugs of prozac tinted thames tap water.

Take anything from a simple walk in the countryside to sporting events: what is the alternative to liquid replenishment using plastic bottles?.

Try a platypus bag. Many outdoor pursuits avail of these, many cyclists, canoeists, triathaletes etc that I know use these.
I do drink bottled water myself, I buy 1 bottle of volvic per week, and refill it from the 22 litre fountain at work, 2 or 3 times a day, I make no apologies, It's far nicer to drink than the tap skank, Its chilled and costs me feck all. Is the C02 footprint on the larger containers much less ???
I also use a platypus when I'm going off for a few hours in the countryside, they're expensive initially, but well worth it ..

probe

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Dental health down here is better than up north, major difference is Flororide.

Government spin, put out by the "health" board mafia!

Consumption of fluoridated water can lead to:

1) Dental Fluorosis
2) Bone cancer – particularly in males
3) Kidney disease
4) Brain damage – IQ deficits
5) Damage the pineal gland affecting sexual maturation, cancer and psychiatric diseases
6) Impair the function of the thyroid gland
7) Causes osteodystrophy
8) Increases the risk of bone fracture

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/

Dental health in Continental Europe where water is not fluoridated is on a par with the US where drinking water is heavily fluoridated.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/caries/who-dmft.html

Only dumb countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the US poison their public water supply with fluoride.

.probe

Xennon

Tis that diluted stuff ye have to watch out for. :rolleyes:

considering that most people drink ice with their drink in bars, one would wonder how many would do so knowing that its tap water, or is it just one of those 'what you dont know wont kill you' kind of scenarios.

Xennon

Tis that diluted stuff ye have to watch out for. :rolleyes:

considering that most people drink ice with their drink in bars, one would wonder how many would do so knowing that its tap water, or is it just one of those 'what you dont know wont kill you' kind of scenarios.

Since we've been on a boil notice for the past 2 years, I cant trust the mains supply.

DublinWriter

Tails142 wrote: »

the water tastes like cock flavoured lollipops

LOL.

The water is exceptionally hard where I am in Meath and as a consequence tastes like gack and also furs up all the appliances and heating system.

Therefore I am normally forced into buying either Evian or San Pelegrano and calling out a plumber at least 4 times a year to clean out the boiler.

But in the long term I'm looking at getting a filter put on the mains and going back to tap.

Still, it's not as expensive as the water those crazy Japanese get by towing whole ice-bergs back to the Land of the Rising Sun and then flog it for about €500 a bottle. Anyone know what it's called?

Macha

probe wrote: »

Government spin, put out by the "health" board mafia!

Consumption of fluoridated water can lead to:

1) Dental Fluorosis
2) Bone cancer – particularly in males
3) Kidney disease
4) Brain damage – IQ deficits
5) Damage the pineal gland affecting sexual maturation, cancer and psychiatric diseases
6) Impair the function of the thyroid gland
7) Causes osteodystrophy
8) Increases the risk of bone fracture

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/

Dental health in Continental Europe where water is not fluoridated is on a par with the US where drinking water is heavily fluoridated.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/caries/who-dmft.html

Only dumb countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the US poison their public water supply with fluoride.

.probe

Just thought you might want to read this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/feb/09/medicalresearch.health

Other great articles in this Bad Science column. I especially like the one that explains that in the 1800s pink was the colour for boys & blue for girls

Capt'n Midnight

San Pellingrino Six pack of glass bottles
Tesco have them for €2.90 / Litre

simu

Flown from Italy :P

I have some of those Sigg bottles - it's a pity they're not distributed better. They only seem to be available online or in sports stores.

Húrin

DublinWriter wrote: »

LOL.

The water is exceptionally hard where I am in Meath and as a consequence tastes like gack and also furs up all the appliances and heating system.

Therefore I am normally forced into buying either Evian or San Pelegrano and calling out a plumber at least 4 times a year to clean out the boiler.

Did any of you people who live in areas with crap water ever think of demanding clean tap water, as is your right from your county councils? Better than forking out for the bottled stuff all your life.

AngryHippie

you cant.
You can demand that the water be potable, but you have no gauranteed rights as to water taste or hardness. that is your lookout, from the local authority point of view.

skatz

I am annoyed with these questions about water. We all know that tap water is pure poison because of the chlorine (just having a shower gives you 1/3 of your RDA) and flouride - Lethal. I have done as much research as a man can do. Did you know that bottling companies are not obliged to display on labels how much flouride is in their water. The reason for this ..... you tell me ????
Does anyone know how much flouride is in bottled water ?????

djpbarry

skatz wrote: »

We all know that tap water is pure poison because of the chlorine

Try drinking water that hasn't been chlorinated and let me know how you get on.

Capt'n Midnight

skatz wrote:

I am annoyed with these questions about water. We all know that tap water is pure poison because of the chlorine (just having a shower gives you 1/3 of your RDA)

Sea water is 1.5% chlorine, just 5 litres of the stuff contains as much chlorine as the average human which has gotta be over the RDA . Let's ban seawater.

Anyone worried about ions in their water can use a ion-exchanger to remove them.

skatz

I understand that water has to have SOME chlorine in it to kill bugs and things, but not enough in evey glass to pollute a small harbour.

Flouride, no need for it at all !! Do we really need a toxic waste product of the aluminium industry .. a known carcinogen ... in our drinking water.

A water engineer friend of mine (works on large projects for various councils) has a well drilled in his garden because he would not drink the water coming throught the "tap system"

I ask again does anyone know how much (if any) flouride is in bottled water ???

BTW ... What has sea water got to do with it ??? FYI if you took the salt out of (clean) seawater you could live on it because of all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals in it.