Whats the deal with americans and bottled water?

Question

Why do Americans drink bottled water? They cant be bothered drinking out of the tap, or buying a rain water tank??

Or are they just plain lazy -_-

Answer 1

I don't drink tap water in the US due to the fact that it contains chlorine and fluoride. Both chemicals are extremely toxic and cancer causing AND used legally. There are also heavy metals in the tap water in certain areas, and other nasties. We have filters in the bath so we don't have to shower in those chemicals either. If I won't drink it, why would I allow it on my skin?

Now if YOU would choose to drink either, help yourself. Personally, I don't care to.

Answer 2

I don't feel it's due to laziness as many areas the tap water smells bad or tastes bad so it makes some sense to drink bottled water. However, I feel the main reason is that some American people, not all, are very susceptible to advertising and what they see in the media as being good for them or "the thing to do". Personally, I think people look ridiculous walking around with a bottle of water everywhere they go. I can see it if you're exercising or doing some sort of strenuous activity and there isn't a source of drinking water around unless you bring it with you. However, just going shopping or to the doctor or something like that it's just silly.

Answer 3

They've added so much to the water supply (California) that drinking straight tap water tastes really bad. You can cook with it, but drinking it is just nasty tasting. And I agree with someone above that if you're out and about, you need to stay hydrated. Also, we're cheap. It's cheaper to buy a flat of bottled water than to pay $2 for a bottle of soda (which is worse for you) at a store. Drinking fountains are practically non-existent.

There are some restaurants around here going eco-friendly who are doing away with water bottles and putting in their own filtration systems for tap water. That's a cool idea.

Answer 4

Twenty-five percent of all bottled water is actually repackaged tap water.
Bottled water doesn't deserve the nutritional halo that most people give it for being pure. If you're not an exclusive bottled water drinker, you may find it worthwhile to check into filtering your tap water to save money.
In a recent Gallop survey, most consumers said they drink bottled water because they perceive it to be purer than tap water. Taste and convenience are also factors.
Because bottled water is considered a food, it is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both types of water are subject to testing for contaminates.
An estimated 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water in the U.S. is packaged and sold within the same state, which exempts it from FDA regulation. And 1 in 5 states do not regulate that bottled water.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates bottled water at the federal level, permits the product to contain certain levels of fecal matter, whereas the Environmental Protection Agency does not allow any human waste in city tap water. Bottled water violations are not always reported to the public, and in most cases the products may be recalled up to 15 months after the problematic water was produced, distributed, and sold.

Moreover, tests on 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water found man-made chemicals, bacteria and arsenic in 22 percent of the bottles.
Tap water is also not immune to contamination problems. While most cities meet the standards for tap water, some tap water in the 19 U.S. cities tested was found to contain arsenic, lead, and pesticides.

Answer 5

Apparently, asking for tap water in restaurants is really taking off in the US ( and the UK for that matter ). It's because people are becoming more aware that asking for water that has been bottled and imported is rather less ecological than drinking the perfectly good stuff that most people are lucky enough to have piped straight into their homes.

Answer 6

Much like the mintiure dog in a purse or grills it's a statement. The statement being "I pay for water and plan on buying dirt."
A lot of people don't mind refilling their water bottle from a tap, it's just the convience and look a water bottle provides.
Interesting fact evian spelled backward is naive

Answer 7

I'm getting that you are not living in america, so, in many foreign 3rd world countries, there are simply microbes in the water that will definately make anyone sick who does not have the immunity to it (i.e. someone who has gotten sick from that exact microbe).
Or you are in another country that only sees richer americans traveling though, those people are simply used to drinking bottled water all the time, and to them, the thought of tap watter, unless they know how it has been purified is uncouth.
The majority of Americans do drink tap water, in their own homes.

Answer 8

I lived in California for 11 years and one of the main reasons are its so damn hot so you always have got to make sure you have water on you unless you want heat stroke. They do drink tap water at home.

Answer 9

what the f*ck is a rain water tank?

i dont know. the only time i have bottled water is if i need to carry water with me. i drink out of the tap all the time. the only people i know who only drink bottled water are rich *ssholes. dont make it an american thing. thats ignorant and rude. i prefer not to be lumped together with rich *ssholes.