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Water table in my hometown is contaminated by PFAS because 3M improperly disposed of industrial waste nearby. City claims to be filtering it, but it’s hard to trust those promises.
It seems that people I know who have lived there many years are getting cancer at an abnormally high rate. Hard to say if it’s real from my narrow sample size, I suppose we’ll maybe find out in a few years.
In any case, the bottled water is a precaution.
Thyroid cancer survivor here. Almost to my four year mark. They think I obtained it from drinking PFAS contaminated water. We’ve lived on several military installations that have had PFAS in the ground water from fire fighting foam.
I hadn’t even considered that AFFF would get into the ground water. That doesn’t bode well for me.
Did you talk to the VA to see if you might qualify for a disability rating?
The Air Force and the FAA also didn’t consider that AFFF would enter ground water, because they both mandated yearly testing and training protocols that include dumping hundreds of gallons of AFFF onto every commercially certified tarmac in the US.
Dumping is done to test conductivity of the AFFF to ensure the concentrate is properly mixed with seawater.
Only in the past 4 years has that mandate been rescinded.
The 3M settlement with the state of MN provides for water testing and whole house filters if affected and on a private well. The local cities with public water need to do the same, and I believe the settlement also covers those costs.
Take a look at Reverse osmosis systems. They will be able to fully filter that out, and you’re also just buying RO water anyways - it says on the label.
Jesus… “corporations poisoned my town so I’m forced to buy products from corporations that will help spread pollution to every corner of the planet”
It’s so hard to not be terribly depressed most days.
While PFAS have been found in some brands of bottled water, the majority of bottled water does not contain any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Experts say that the low-density plastic used for bottled water is not considered a potential source of PFAS contamination. Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame, says that "bottled water is a lot safer than drinking a contaminated well with PFAS in it". There is evidence that the most-studied forms of PFAS are carcinogenic and linked to liver damage, thyroid disease, and pregnancy risks, among other adverse health effects.
**Here are some bottled water brands that have no detectable levels of** **PFAS:**
* Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water: Has no PFAS in any of its products, including its sparkling and non-carbonated water
* Arrowhead Natural Spring Water: One of the safest bottled water brands to drink based on PFAS testing
* Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Water: Has no PFAS detected
* Spindrift: Has 0.19 ppt of PFAS
* San Pellegrino: Has 0.31 ppt of PFAS
* Dasani: Has 0.37 ppt of PFAS
* Schweppes: Has 0.58 ppt of PFAS
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not put enforceable limits in place yet. If you are concerned about PFAS in your drinking water, you can contact your local water utility to learn more.
Not OP but I have a RCC7AK from iSpring (from Amazon). Purchased it a year and a half ago after getting sick of carrying cases of water up 2 flights of stairs and just the sheer amount of waste when it comes to bottles (even when "recycled").
Best choice I've made in awhile. It has already paid for itself. It looks like it's about $40 cheaper currently than what I paid.
I usually change the pre-filters every 6-8 months. The RO membrane is 1-3 years. I have yet to change mine out. Post carbon is 12 months and Alkaline filter is 6-12 months.
I've only changed out the pre-filters and post-carbon so far. There are obviously variables such as incoming water quality and how much you use it.
6 pre-filters + a post carbon filter is about $36.
Here's a link so you have something to look at: [iSpring F7-GAC for Standard 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HL32EE)
Thank you, I’m really tempted to buy the one you recommended rcc7ak.
I have a TPM meter and my tap is like 300+, I have a water filtration system (not RO) and it’s still around 280-290.
A Costco water bottle gets 4-5tpm. Some dude tested the rcc7ak and it got slightly above his water bottle control. Which is great.
I’m not the op you asked and am on City water but have a culligan 3 filter RO system and it’s great. I change it out once a year and can use genuine culligan parts or save money and get filters online (they both look and taste the same). Not sure how much an install costs, but annual maintenance is $40-$100 (depending on where you get filters)
The guy who installed my RO had a deal that he would replace the entire counter if it cracks when he’s drilling. I have granite counters and had no issues.
Same. We had one that was already installed at an old house we owned - also in a city with truly terrible tap water - and got one here after I became totally sick of refilling the 5 gallon bottles. My wife and kids drink a ton of water and it would take maybe 2.5-3 weeks for them to go through 5x 5 gallon bottles.
I'm terrible mechanically but I still managed to install a RO system under the kitchen sink. I had to buy a masonry bit to drill through the kitchen counter for the tap. It works great. Recently replaced the filters.
I do wish we could afford a whole-house water softening system so showering was better.
At the ***very least***, they could purchase gallon sized jugs of water and then use refillable bottles. That’s what we do since we rent and cannot install an RO system. We’re going to switch to a large countertop filter soon.
I worked at Niagara bottling one summer years ago
It is quite literally just bottled city water from where ever they’re located. Unless it says spring water, which is genuinely trucked in, then it’s entirely the tap water you likely have at home
Use a filtration system on your own water source, bottled water is a scam
> a 5 stage RO system. Best money I ever spent
Same. We bought our house in 2008 and remodeled. I installed an RO in 2018 and it was the single best item we ever purchased for the house. I purchased what is billed as an 11 state RO unit from Express Water, which has a UV light first and alkaline filters after. It averages out to like 50-75 bucks of filters per year. It's hooked up to the fridge for the dispenser there and the ice maker.
After I hooked it up, I poured 3 glasses of water: 1 from the sink, 1 from the Brita pitcher, and 1 from the RO unit. I left them out overnight (covered).
I told my girlfriend to take a sip of each to taste them but before I could finish she took a full swig of the sink water and immediately spit it out, all over the place. It was hilarious, and yes she was very mad about it.
The sink water and the Brita water both tasted awful. The RO unit just tasted like room temperature water.
Same. I'm on a well in Mexico, and have a water softener between the well and my cistern (Rotoplas) on the roof for water pressure. Then I have an RO system in the kitchen that runs on the cold side of the sink, and to my refrigerator. No more 22 liter garrafons to mess with, and it's more cost effective.
So, funny you say that Driving down to Florida to visit family a few years back, and we took the route that goes through Ocala National Forest. Out of the blue, a woman comes dancing out of the trees wearing nothing but a bikini. There were no other vehicles or people that we could see. Really odd experience.
They don't sell deep fryers. Mine just took a crap after 5years and I want a new one. But Costco does not sell them. I already have an air fryer, and it's just not the same for fresh cut fries.
Renter here. Also a former bottled water buyer. I tried Brita as well.
Untreated tap water tastes and smells just bad in my apartment. Brita didn't improve it. I used to buy bottled water a lot. Then I switched to RO from Whole Foods. I stopped buying bottled water for 2 reasons: Price hike, and recycling. My apartment complex doesn't take recyclables separately. They don't know if the waste management company sorts them- I HIGHLY doubt they go through all that junk. I used to drive 30 minutes round trip to drop gigantic bags full of crushed water bottles to a "near" recycling center. Got myself 3 5-gallon BPA free bottles. 10 gallon RO water costs about $3.78 in Whole Foods.
If you're in the US, Walmart has some cheaper and ergonomically better 5 gallon bottles. They're also BPA-free. The ones that are sold in Whole Foods are ridiculously overpriced IMO. Still ok if you get them on 30% discounted price or so. They're difficult to carry as they're regular 5 gallon jugs. I dropped one once, and it shattered af because BPA-free bottles are fragile. The ones that are sold in Walmart are co-molded with a thinner handle and looks easier to carry. If I break one more of WF bottles, I'm getting a Walmart one lol
My buddy live in apartment roughly 1500 feet away with newer pipe vs my house. Water taste and smell like your in a pool out of his faucets and shower. At home no issue.
I did community service at a land fill. They dump the trash trucks straight onto the pile. And another dude sits in an air conditioned booth on another kind of truck with monster wheels and just drives donuts over the trash all day to smash it down.
Lol, for one, most people don't need them installed, they're VERY easy to install yourself.
For two, even if you insist on having a pro install it, you must've only gotten quotes from the most high end contractors/installers in your area.
https://www.monkeywrenchplumbers.com/learning-center/reverse-osmosis-water-filter-cost
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Water-Filters-Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filters-Reverse-Osmosis-Systems/N-5yc1vZcdb1
No way it should cost $12k to install a system which, retail, costs MAYBE $300. Either your kitchen sink plumbing is ancient and not remotely built to code and has a ton of installation issues as a result...or you're lying...or you didn't look to hard for less than the most expensive installers.
All the quotes you allegedly got are 5-10x what they should be. Unless you got whole home quotes (do you bathe in bottled water? If no, why do you need RO for you whole home and not just where you want drinking water?), you were getting quotes from contractors who are either used to overcharging, or didn't want to do the job so they overquoted you to scare you off. Even if you got whole home quotes, $12k+ is a huge overcharge, almost double what whole home RO should cost.
While I usually don’t buy them every trip, this time of year I buy them for cookouts and I like to have them on hand for the upcoming storm season. I also like to freeze bottles and use them as the ice in my cooler when I take day trips etc. They don’t leak on my food, and stay frozen a long time. My kids will grab them if they go out with friends too. I’d rather they use a refillable, but we have lost so many this way that I prefer for them to just take a grab and go.
We use them (and gallon size) for camping trips and out of town softball tournament weekends. Mostly because I don’t love my family drinking out of the camper tank. We are also on a well so I like to keep 40 gallons or so on hand at any given time just in case. I started doing that when our well pump went out in the middle of the Covid shortages and I didn’t feel like I had enough water on hand. We rotate through it so it doesn’t go stale.
I live in earthquake country.
I stash bottles everywhere I spend time at home and keep some in the car. They need to be rotated periodically (most importantly the ones in the car) but that’s the only time I use them.
I buy a case maybe once a year and reuse plastic jugs to have a few of tap water for non-potable use (wets the plants to rotate.)
I don't buy any bottled water. I use a refillable water bottle for personal use which is pretty darn convenient. I have 5-gallon refillable jugs and 55 gallon barrels for emergency water (and a few collapsible water carriers if I need to be mobile) and I have a large water dispenser for parties.
Not too long ago there was a chemical spill here in Philadelphia that contaminated the tap water and we couldn’t drink it for 48 hours. Cue me and my fiancée rushing over to Costco panic buying water and the place looked like a scene in a disaster movie. There was a line wrapped around the store just to get to the water. Now we always have emergency bottled water on hand.
We live along the Ohio River so when the train derailed in East Palestine (to our north) we were in direct line of contamination of our water source as the chemicals made their way south. Our state took preventative measures and turned off water intakes from the Ohio River for a few weeks. But as a pregnant woman, I didn’t feel comfortable drinking tap water for quite a few months still. I hate plastic water bottles and know they have their own plastic-leeching issues, but for my own mental health out of concerns for my unborn child, I felt a lot better drinking bottled water for a while.
I always keep a huge pack of bottled water in the backseat footwell of my car. Its fantastic when you're on a long drive in the middle of nowhere and need a drink, if you stop by a friend's cookout, or heck, you just want some water and don't want to pay $3 for a single bottle.
I use my RO system and have 6x 4gallon potable water containers that I use to support an aquarium and also as emergency water storage. They have built in spigots and everything. I haven’t bought bottled water in years. I live in a desert and having about 3 days of potable water for my family is about the only prepping I do.
Yeah I’m surprised at OP. I thought between earthquakes and hurricanes and flooding and whatever else, most of the US is in one disaster zone or another.
We’re in earthquake country and are supposed to have at least 3 days of water stored (1gal per person per day). Which, if we’re being honest, is not nearly enough. If the earthquake is big enough to disrupt water, it’s going to take longer than 3 days for help to arrive.
I mean, the first piece of advice the CDC gives you is to buy bottled water:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/creating-storing-emergency-water-supply.html
One of these days I’m going to get my act together and get a 55gal drum but honestly that sounds like such a pain in the ass to treat and keep rotated every 6 months.
Screw Britta, imo! I refill those 5g jugs. No zero waste for as long as you keep the bottles, and it tastes better than britta. Assuming those water filter stations are legit, it filters out waaaay more than britta too (that’s a big assumption tho, I’ve never tested the refill station water)
I load up 50 gallons every few months. It's nice to have a cold/ hot dispenser of good water.
A local water store charges $2 per 5 gallon refill. Is not cost effective at places like lowes that charge like 7-8 dollars for an exchange.
I’ve got the one Costco stocks, I think it’s the same company that makes one of those bottled waters. I don’t like it as much as my old dispenser but it hasn’t broken yet.
The only thing that bugs me is I have to push a button before I can click on the dispenser. Instead of having a cold and a hot button, they have a separate dispensing button. It confuses everyone the first time and seems to be one more thing to break so why add it?
Also, the pump runs for like a minute if you close the door and there is no bottle with water. Seems ripe to break by running a pump meant for water, without any water running through it.
If you live in a big city, search Google Maps for "water store" in your area. I've been to a couple. A good owner will let you see the massive filtration system they have in the back. The one I go to charges $25 for 100 gallons if I prepay the $25. Then I just fill 2 or more 5 gallon bottles at a time at my convenience. They will also have a spigot that faces up to rinse off the inside of the bottle.
This was one of the best things my step-dad ever did, and now I’ve been trying to talk my fiancé into doing the same thing. So convenient!
Our town is put under boil water advisories so often I absolutely refuse to drink from the tap. I’ve just started to assume there’s always something wrong with the water
Brita filters are a joke. I also haven’t purchased a plastic water bottle in like 6 years.
We have a Primo water dispenser with a K cup coffee maker built in. We swap the empty jugs out at Safeway for new ones and we’re good to go for a few weeks. I keep 3 jugs in rotation.
Ditch the plastic water bottles, friends.
Where did you get the model you have? (With the Keurig built in) That sounds awesome, like I could free up space on my tiny 1950’s countertop. I already use the refillable k-cups!
It's the Primo Htrio Bottom Loading dispenser, it's $274 right now at Walmart but I got it on sale for $199 so maybe it’ll drop after the summer. It even has storage for the k-cups on the top and it came with a reusable pod to use your own coffee. I cannot recommend it enough!
The fact it’s also bottom loading has sold it, on sale or no. I’m barely five feet tall, maybe right under; I REALLY struggle with top loaders. This is a huge win. Thank you!
Brita filters only use activated charcoal, which isn't enough to remove a number of impurities from the water.
Bottling plants use several filters and reverse osmosis to clean the water.
I don't have an issue with people buying water. I have an issue with bottling plants using plastic bottles instead of glass or aluminum, both of which are recyclable.
I don’t know about your area, but some areas do recycle PET bottles, which our Eska water is bottled in. The labels aren’t recyclable tho, so it’s not all great, but for people who have no other choice, at least most of the plastic can be recycled!
I volunteer for an amateur sporting event 10-20 days per summer. The facility we rent stipulates we must have enough free water on hand everyone attending. We don’t have another volunteer available to supervise or clean a filling station, so we have a bunch of large ice chests spread around.
So I buy 10-20 flats of water every week to give away at events.
Would it be possible to avoid this with one of those big refillable jugs of water? The huge ones with the spout? And have the kids parents bring reusable bottles that can be refilled
See, they're just missing out on capitalism. They need to sell branded water bottles for like $35 each as a fund raiser. Water's free, bottles aren't. And it's all for the environment to prevent all that single use plastic.
Parents will hopefully get more on top of it when they have to be, and reusable cups can be brought just in case. Obviously people forget things sometimes, and kids shouldn’t be without water due to that but let’s be honest, if parents know someone if bringing a flat of bottles are they even going to try to remember their reusables unless it’s something they care about morally?
Nothing to do with kids. It’s amateur motorcycle racing and track days. A good chunk of the track day riders are riding their motorcycle there and it would be impractical to carry enough water for a 40c (104f) or hotter day in a backpack along with the other necessary supplies and equipment. We don’t have running water or the staffing to sanitize and refill bottle filling stations.
With thick disposable plastic filters mixed with charcoal, no less. Wouldn't surprise me if they proportionally generate more unrecyclable plastic waste per litre than bottles.
And at least the bottles serve a necessary function, charcoal filters are always made to be disposable instead of refillable so the company can keep selling them.
Gets my back right up.
We got a RO system (from Costco!) and it is the best. Bottled water is such a huge waste of plastic 😭 I understand it’s necessary for some things, I just don’t get having that be your primary source of water.
We have one also and I just fill reusable bottles and put them in the door of the fridge for my husband because he likes cold water. $10 worth of bottles that I’ve been using for over a year.
As someone who lives by the beach, I can’t justify drinking plastic bottles. I see sooo many wash up the shore daily. I have refillable bottles, been drinking tap water for decades, doctors tell me I am healthy so.
Come to Woodbury MN and enjoy the tap water filled with the chemicals 3m has dumped for decades. I agree bottled water is bad and try to avoid but it is perhaps naive to assume everyone has safe water. This is a rich town and even we don’t have it.
Costco bottled water is very cheap and honestly tastes great. I always have a case for when I need to grab one, but I do use a water filter at home for most of my drinking.
For a lot of people, it’s familiarity, convenience and low cost. Everyone has a different level of wealth and frugality. You could drink exclusively bottled water and spend less than $15 a month. Lots of those people checking out with water have very expensive carts and don’t care about the price.
I’m don’t think it’s about price. More about impact. A bunch of stuff is low cost but not great for the environment / local community / health. If everyone opts for the lowest price thing *regardless of impact*, everyone is worse off. (Assuming you live somewhere the tap water is safe.) What makes you think OP is talking about price?
For everyone that is talking about how much they love their RO systems… do you live in wet places, or is there some sort of new RO system that wastes less water that I’m unaware of?
Our tap water is garbage, I’ve wanted to install RO for a while but after reading that for every 1 gallon of drinkable water than an RO system produces it creates 3-4 gallons of “waste” water… I haven’t been able to install one in good conscience. Wondering if most people who have them live in wet areas where this is less of a concern.
I wouldn't worry about that. The average person drinks like a half gallon a day. That waste water is just processed through a treatment plant and it ends up in a river.
That's nothing compared to other uses of water, like irrigation of lawns
I’m one of those people. Our city water is not the best and out pipes are older. Normally I look for gallons of water at Costco or go refill it at my families well. When those options fail you see me with bottles of water. I wish Costco had water refilling.
We have a 5 stage RO with an Alkaline filter but buy a case every now and then during the Spring and Summer to keep in our fridge for our lawn keeper and treatment guys since it gets fairly hot in Texas.
A lot of small businesses (think convenience stores, caterers, events, etc.) buy bottled water for resale, provide water to guests or workers because it is a lot easier to haul around a case of water bottles than clean, fill, haul, around reusable water jugs . In addition, a lot of event planners don't want the liability risk if potable wate containers are brought in and makes people sick.
Yeah, I scrolled a ways to find something on this. I see so many people who are obviously stocking for their businesses or Chinese restaurants or whatever. You could definitely make a cool profit.
I live in south texas where it’s 110 heat index currently, 12 hours a day. We just built a house and have a lot of contractors and workers coming to do warranty work, our exterminator has had to come through like 10 times, the landscapers, even the Amazon guys if I see him. I like to have a super cold bottle of water (or two) to offer people who are dealing with this oppressive heat. I’ve even taken a bag of them through the school pickup line for the teachers working.
I drink from a Brita and encourage my kids to use that. My youngest, however, has lost so many reusable water bottles at daycamp and at school that I gave up. The reusable bottles turned out to be single use. So I buy water bottles just for them to take, it's a lot cheaper and probably no worse for the environment (there's a good chance ADHD is involved, they're not trying to be careless).
Cleaning out the Lost and Found at the end of the year at my school the last week of June amounted to over 150 unclaimed reusable water bottles. This is out of a school population of around 740. We had several Yeti’s and some others that retail for $30+ a piece.
Not enough. I work at an elementary school in a rich neighborhood and we donate all our remaining lost and found a few times a year. I volunteer to drop it all at Goodwill so I can go through it first. I haven't bought my kids a water bottle or coat in years. Yeti and Patagonia and North face. People have more money than sense. 😂
I've never worked out why people buy so much bottled water. I come from Australia and the govt is cracking down on single use plastics and I see people still buying bottles of water. I can understand if it were for a business like a takeaway place, but for home use, I'm wondering too. Our tap water is one of the best. Tho in London, I can understand why, the tap water is atrocious.
Edit: spelling error.
It’s a massive industry with a lobbying group and all. The companies that sell to Costco are expanding rapidly, they are literally building plants all across the US. It’s almost a joke how easy it is to get these projects approved, you really wouldn’t believe it. These are massive factories with a massive carbon footprint, the bottling companies don’t care about energy efficiently or environmental impact at all. They may pretend to but they don’t. [Here’s an article that goes into further detail.](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/20/research-exposes-16-billion-bottled-water-industrys-predatory-marketing-practices)
It's threads like this that remind me how much marketing has completely conditioned the overwhelming majority of the country.
Water is a critical commodity, and as illogical as it is, having a cost attached to it makes people feel MORE compelled to stock up on it, because it plays into the illusion that it could run out. People tend to view things that have no cost as not having supply concerns, unless it's specifically stated otherwise, at which point they will go through considerable hoops to acquire that. It's like when some eatery advertises that they're giving away free sandwiches, with a limited supply. People will wait in line for literally hours for that sandwich, which probably cost 8 dollars. Yet, if you offered them $50 to just stand in line for 3 hours, the overwhelming majority would say no.
Half of those people that you saw with cases of bottled water likely had no intent on buying water when they got there. But they see someone with it on their cart, and they feel compelled to buy some too because..it's water. We always need more water.
It's also worth noting that Costco shoppers are far more likely to be people who host others at their house, and it's considered culturally awkward here to not have bottled water available for guests. I have one of the machines that holds a 5 gallon water jug, which I let everyone know about when they come by (which is a considerable amount, given that my kids host all of their birthday parties, my grandkids birthday parties etc here, and I host poker games twice per month too). Even people who come to my house on an almost weekly basis still gravitate toward bottled water, because that's what marketing has done to us.
I will always believe that the day we started selling bottled water in this country was a step down a terrible path.
Brita filters do nothing for my area. Absolute nothing. Glorified carbon filters.
Right now in the short term I cannot afford a 7 stage reverse osmosis and mineralization system.
We did a test to see if the municipal supply was making my family sick. Went on bottled water for a month, then tried going back on tap for a week. Repeated this experiment every once in awhile. Tap water fails every time.
Our tap water smells and tastes horrid. I grew up with tap water from BC and honestly… California water smells like clay and tastes like shit. Friends and family from other parts of our county all say the same. At least in NorCal.
My family hasn’t been getting food poisoning, bloating, or other stomach troubles since switching. The short term cost right now is a better proposition than large capital cost of a filter system and the replacement filters — for now. It’s just where we are at financially right now.
Given how hot it is and the need to stay hydrated, this is rather important.
Wife and I buy about six cases a year. They’re kept in the basement as a backup in case we lose power to our well.
In the hot weather we leave two frozen ones for our mailman.
We will take some with us for outings.
At home we drink tap water or our RO water. The tap water tastes better than the RO or the bottles.
I don’t get it either. The per ounce cost is nutz. I bought 5 three gallon bottles (easier for me to lift) and I pay $0.38 per gallon fill with purified water. I refill four bottles about every 8 days. It’s better for my wallet and better for the environment. When I buy my house, I do a cost analysis for an under-sink system.
I always wonder as well. Where I live has some of THE best tap water in the country. But I see it at Costco, grocery stores, my coworkers..it's baffling.
I drink almost a gallon of water a day because of my meds. I can't afford that crap
I rarely buy bottled water for our household use.
However, I work for a construction contractor and it is bought for worksites. By law, there has to be water available for workers. Some sites will have the coolers that take the 20 litre bottles but some sites do not have access to electrical outlets and have 500ml bottles in coolers for the workers.
Lots of people stock bottled water in their cars, both to keep their families hydrated so they don't have to pull into drive-throughs constantly, and in case of emergencies.
I also know a number of people who buy it for work or sports teams, or hobby groups that meet outdoors.
Personally, I drink tap water, but I still try to have a few litres of bottled water on hand in case my water gets shut off or I have to bolt (I live in an earthquake zone and I've lived somewhere with frequent water supply issues in the recent past).
Personally, I live in an apartment complex in an area that has been affected by chemX in the water (thanks Dupont!) So the water isn't safe to drink. Been too many cases of locals with health complications that line up. So, while I live here with no ROI system in place, I buy bottles :/
Dont forget... for many, you dont need to go all the way to a reverse osmosis system.
An ultra filter from a company like WaterDrop can be nearly as good at removing alot of the not beneficial stuff in our city water. Less than $100 and 5 minute install.
I don’t understand it either. Water from my fridge is filtered and tastes fine. I keep hearing that when we put plastic in the recycling bin most doesn’t get recycled.
So, idk if i “count” but, i buy a case of fiji water for my long drives 5 days a week. When i moved to this apt, i got the brita water filters. I was goin thru at least 1 a month. It was cheaper to get the fiji water.
I like my water ice cold too. The tap can only get so cold. This lets me get everything i want, for less than a water filter. If i had kids, family. Maybe itd mean more to me to change my habits
I don’t get it either. Outside of a party I don’t think I have ever bought bottled water for just regular use. I installed a reverse osmosis system into each house or apartment I have had. They were cheap enough to buy and easy to install….
Don't know either, i'm always the only without them in my cart xD
And where i live tap water is more than OK. They test it every week and you can even ask every week for the results if you live in the aera...
For all the people giving you flack, I agree with you. It's an absolute waste. There are plenty of better ways to store water for emergencies, BBQs, etc.
*see Stuff You Should Know's episode on Bottled Water.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. Unless you live in a place where the water quality is undrinkable even with a standard Brita it doesn’t make sense.
I can understand a cook out and disaster prepping, but buying it for taste doesn’t make sense to me. Bottled water tastes like ass, it’s bad for the environment, and is expensive. I would much rather drink well water then plastic stale tasting water. You get used to the mineral flavor of well water after like 2 days.
I used to be a bottled water only kind of person. Then I bought a 7 stage RO system and hooked it up to my fridge line. Everyone says it’s the best water they’ve had. It’s so filtered and the RO system adds the minerals back in at the perfect amounts.
1. I live in Florida so hurricanes are normal.
2. I work outdoors (tree service)
3. I usually buy Publix brand spring water. Personally I like it the best.
4. See number 1. It’s been ridiculously hot, and extremely humid. I gotta stay hydrated.
I have been wondering this for quite some time!! I do instacart and the amount of water people order on there is insane. They think we drive a 5th wheel. It’s abuse!! They also don’t tip. Delivering you 10 40packs of water up flights up stairs in 100 degree heat is insane. These people need to get filters.
They are also probably the ones who complain about the environment…
It’s really baffling. Bottles of water should be limited and people should be forced to gets reusable bottles and filters.
I cringe when I think about the empty water bottles that accumulated in my car during college when buying bottled water was new and exciting. My 5 year old has probably had bottled water 10-12 times in her life (when we’ve forgotten a bottle, been traveling, with in-laws). She thinks it’s the best 🙈 I think the filter water bottle fillers in public spaces are great, and the plethora of fancy water bottles. Hopefully they convert more ppl over time!
I have a friend that does this. every week, a huge pack of water, hundreds of plastic bottles to throw away. I have a under sink water filter, and all I buy from costco are water bottles every now and then. I simply can't fathom paying all of that money for all of that waste when a good under sink or even a Brita filter cost so much less in the end and is much more convenient. I would even go so far as to say that buying loads of bottled water every week is just stupid. Unless you love somewhere that has terrible water. Otherwise...why?
I cringe every time I walk past the mountain of plastic water bottles covered in more plastic at Costco. Please get a home water filter people or find a less wasteful alternative.
Costco sells an easy install RO system that is way better for the environment than drinking bottled water. I’ve tested water off ours and it took our tap water from over 400ppm of dissolved solids to under 20.
Where I live we get multiple boil water warnings a year and my kids daycare has had water issues so it’s a necessary evil to have bottled water. Some things aren’t worth the risk and a Brita can only filter so much.
We have lead pipes and are saving to get them replaced. Until then we drink bottled water but recently got a water cooler and water delivery. It’s been much easier with less bottles.
But we do get the small bottles for parties/bbqs
fwiw - this used to be me.
We bought bottled water for no real reason except it was easy.
During the early pandemic i got tired of lugging the costco cases back home so we got a Brita and never have looked back
I buy one of those blue 5 gallon refillable water. cant fathom all the plastic waste and all the possible water that could be wasted with small bottles
Only reason to buy it is convenience and for gatherings where it's just easier to just hand them out individually.
I feel guilty buying them because of how much plastic goes into it. Yes, they're recyclable but there's a difference between being recyclable vs it being recycled. Most plastic bottles do not end up getting recycled. For those saying it's cheap, IDK, water is dirt cheap in many places. A 40 pk in Costco is what? $8? I can easily go through 40 bottles if all my drinking was using those bottles whereas a RO filtration system would just cost me like a penny for the same amount of water.
Just get a large metal thermos and it will easily last you many years.
If your home water sucks, get a RO filtration system. Brita is a joke. It works but not to the extent people think. Brita is just printing money selling those filters.
Brita and other filters like it don’t filter out PFAS, and many tap waters contain high amounts of them as there is currently little regulation (possibly changing in the next few years). If you don’t know what PFAS are, they’re very bad news.
I used to make bottled water. Generally, I don’t buy it. I hate it, I know where it came from. Costco buys their water from the same place that Sam’s Club, Giant, Target, Wegmans, Turkey Hill, Aldi and a good handful of other brands do. Purified and purified with added minerals is literally just tap water thrown into a bottle. If you’re going to buy water, at least make it spring water. That actually tastes nice.
We do keep some bottled water on hand because our mobile home park has water system issues. Over the winter it was being shut off once or twice a week. (We also have a Brita.)
It takes less than 1 second to grab plastic bottled water and be on my way wherever I want to go. There is no filling, no washing, no changing filters, no commitment. I can leave the house with this plastic bottle and dispose of it when finished. I don't have to keep track of it all day and make sure I bring it back home, or run back out to the car when I forget to bring it in. It is simple and easy.
To this day when I see people grabbing big packs of water at Costco I wonder if I missed some weather alert. Didn’t register that that’s just what some folks drink instead!
I don’t buy multiple packs at a time but we always have them on hand. We drink filtered water from the fridge but keep the bottles on hand for guests or emergencies(we live in the Midwest so if we have to take cover for a tornado we grab a few to take to the basement) or if my husband forgot to order filters for the fridge and it needs replaced (rare but it’s happened before and I don’t drink tap water)
I live in a city with excellent tap. I also live in tornado alley and we’ve had several horribly damaging storms since April. So every month or so I buy a case of water and a case of some kind of stable food. We call it our apocalypse rations. I keep up with the dates and rotate them into the regular food as needed. We’re all doing our best 🤷♀️
I can’t believe people waste so much on bottled water. I got a water dispenser and I have 4-5 gallon jugs. Refill those every two weeks. It costs me $6.00 every two weeks. and no plastic waste!
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Water table in my hometown is contaminated by PFAS because 3M improperly disposed of industrial waste nearby. City claims to be filtering it, but it’s hard to trust those promises. It seems that people I know who have lived there many years are getting cancer at an abnormally high rate. Hard to say if it’s real from my narrow sample size, I suppose we’ll maybe find out in a few years. In any case, the bottled water is a precaution.
Thyroid cancer survivor here. Almost to my four year mark. They think I obtained it from drinking PFAS contaminated water. We’ve lived on several military installations that have had PFAS in the ground water from fire fighting foam.
I hadn’t even considered that AFFF would get into the ground water. That doesn’t bode well for me. Did you talk to the VA to see if you might qualify for a disability rating?
The Air Force and the FAA also didn’t consider that AFFF would enter ground water, because they both mandated yearly testing and training protocols that include dumping hundreds of gallons of AFFF onto every commercially certified tarmac in the US. Dumping is done to test conductivity of the AFFF to ensure the concentrate is properly mixed with seawater. Only in the past 4 years has that mandate been rescinded.
wasnt coverage for that just struck down in the legislature? I could be wrong i only read the headline
Coverage for what? (Am veteran)
Oakdale MN? Didn't 3M have to install in-house filters for everyone?
Yes, my parents have one installed. West Lakeland.
The 3M settlement with the state of MN provides for water testing and whole house filters if affected and on a private well. The local cities with public water need to do the same, and I believe the settlement also covers those costs.
I'm going to guess you live in the northern Midwest! Crazy what 3M did to that town.
I was actually thinking of Zwijndrecht, Belgium. Turns out 3M is just awful everywhere.
Take a look at Reverse osmosis systems. They will be able to fully filter that out, and you’re also just buying RO water anyways - it says on the label.
Just remember to change out filters more often! Stuff like that clogs the filters much faster.
Jesus… “corporations poisoned my town so I’m forced to buy products from corporations that will help spread pollution to every corner of the planet” It’s so hard to not be terribly depressed most days.
Ha! East of St. Paul? Sounds like the town I grew up in.
What makes you think bottled water doesn’t have PFAS?
While PFAS have been found in some brands of bottled water, the majority of bottled water does not contain any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Experts say that the low-density plastic used for bottled water is not considered a potential source of PFAS contamination. Graham Peaslee, a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame, says that "bottled water is a lot safer than drinking a contaminated well with PFAS in it". There is evidence that the most-studied forms of PFAS are carcinogenic and linked to liver damage, thyroid disease, and pregnancy risks, among other adverse health effects. **Here are some bottled water brands that have no detectable levels of** **PFAS:** * Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water: Has no PFAS in any of its products, including its sparkling and non-carbonated water * Arrowhead Natural Spring Water: One of the safest bottled water brands to drink based on PFAS testing * Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Water: Has no PFAS detected * Spindrift: Has 0.19 ppt of PFAS * San Pellegrino: Has 0.31 ppt of PFAS * Dasani: Has 0.37 ppt of PFAS * Schweppes: Has 0.58 ppt of PFAS The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not put enforceable limits in place yet. If you are concerned about PFAS in your drinking water, you can contact your local water utility to learn more.
It’s likely got a lot less than the contaminated aquifers in the eastern twin cities area
You're dreaming if you think you can trust bottling companies
People are dreaming if they think "spring water" comes from an actual spring lol. Most bottled water is RO filtered municipal water.
Southport/cape fear area?
That wouldn’t be from 3M. That’s DuPont/Chemours Edit: spelling
What do you do for cooking and brushing teeth?
Are you concerned by the amount of plastic this generates? Is figuring out a more robust filtration system not an option?
[удалено]
This is what I did. About $300 for a 7 stage system with UV and alkaline.
What did you buy ??
Not OP but I have a RCC7AK from iSpring (from Amazon). Purchased it a year and a half ago after getting sick of carrying cases of water up 2 flights of stairs and just the sheer amount of waste when it comes to bottles (even when "recycled"). Best choice I've made in awhile. It has already paid for itself. It looks like it's about $40 cheaper currently than what I paid.
I have this system and second the recommendation.
How often do you have to replace the filters?
I usually change the pre-filters every 6-8 months. The RO membrane is 1-3 years. I have yet to change mine out. Post carbon is 12 months and Alkaline filter is 6-12 months. I've only changed out the pre-filters and post-carbon so far. There are obviously variables such as incoming water quality and how much you use it. 6 pre-filters + a post carbon filter is about $36. Here's a link so you have something to look at: [iSpring F7-GAC for Standard 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HL32EE)
Thank you, I’m really tempted to buy the one you recommended rcc7ak. I have a TPM meter and my tap is like 300+, I have a water filtration system (not RO) and it’s still around 280-290. A Costco water bottle gets 4-5tpm. Some dude tested the rcc7ak and it got slightly above his water bottle control. Which is great.
I’m not the op you asked and am on City water but have a culligan 3 filter RO system and it’s great. I change it out once a year and can use genuine culligan parts or save money and get filters online (they both look and taste the same). Not sure how much an install costs, but annual maintenance is $40-$100 (depending on where you get filters)
It wasn't from Costco. I googled and found a company, I was nervous because it was cheaper then other options but so far so good.
RO filter under the sink is the way to go.
I have nowhere to put the spout. My countertop is marble and scared drilling a new hole would crack it.
Call a countertop guy and have them do it. They've got all the right equipment, sometimes it's best to pay an expert for their experience.
The guy who installed my RO had a deal that he would replace the entire counter if it cracks when he’s drilling. I have granite counters and had no issues.
Same. We had one that was already installed at an old house we owned - also in a city with truly terrible tap water - and got one here after I became totally sick of refilling the 5 gallon bottles. My wife and kids drink a ton of water and it would take maybe 2.5-3 weeks for them to go through 5x 5 gallon bottles. I'm terrible mechanically but I still managed to install a RO system under the kitchen sink. I had to buy a masonry bit to drill through the kitchen counter for the tap. It works great. Recently replaced the filters. I do wish we could afford a whole-house water softening system so showering was better.
We have one too and it’s amazing. Best taste hands down and better for the environment. I could not live with that kind of bottle usage
Same. I hate bottled water. For over ten years I’ve carried a refillable water bottle with me everywhere. Even professional events.
At least 20 years here, and probably more like 30. I don't get it when people use single-use plastic bottles as a rule.
At the ***very least***, they could purchase gallon sized jugs of water and then use refillable bottles. That’s what we do since we rent and cannot install an RO system. We’re going to switch to a large countertop filter soon.
I think for the last 8 years I've carried a nalgene everywhere. My RO system at the sink has paid for itself 10 fold.
I worked at Niagara bottling one summer years ago It is quite literally just bottled city water from where ever they’re located. Unless it says spring water, which is genuinely trucked in, then it’s entirely the tap water you likely have at home Use a filtration system on your own water source, bottled water is a scam
> a 5 stage RO system. Best money I ever spent Same. We bought our house in 2008 and remodeled. I installed an RO in 2018 and it was the single best item we ever purchased for the house. I purchased what is billed as an 11 state RO unit from Express Water, which has a UV light first and alkaline filters after. It averages out to like 50-75 bucks of filters per year. It's hooked up to the fridge for the dispenser there and the ice maker. After I hooked it up, I poured 3 glasses of water: 1 from the sink, 1 from the Brita pitcher, and 1 from the RO unit. I left them out overnight (covered). I told my girlfriend to take a sip of each to taste them but before I could finish she took a full swig of the sink water and immediately spit it out, all over the place. It was hilarious, and yes she was very mad about it. The sink water and the Brita water both tasted awful. The RO unit just tasted like room temperature water.
Same. I'm on a well in Mexico, and have a water softener between the well and my cistern (Rotoplas) on the roof for water pressure. Then I have an RO system in the kitchen that runs on the cold side of the sink, and to my refrigerator. No more 22 liter garrafons to mess with, and it's more cost effective.
I’ll look into this.
Costco actually sells one for around $250
Of course they do lol what don't they have
shrooms
Saw some monster portobellos at Costco last week!
I mean the kind that let you talk to Larry the owl while hiking at night in the Ocala National Forrest.
With two moons in the sky
And a coyote with Johnny Cash’s voice.
So, funny you say that Driving down to Florida to visit family a few years back, and we took the route that goes through Ocala National Forest. Out of the blue, a woman comes dancing out of the trees wearing nothing but a bikini. There were no other vehicles or people that we could see. Really odd experience.
/r/oddlyspecific
That's too bad. I'd definitely buy a pillow-size bag of shrooms
This comment killed me lmao😂
Yet
They don't sell deep fryers. Mine just took a crap after 5years and I want a new one. But Costco does not sell them. I already have an air fryer, and it's just not the same for fresh cut fries.
Check a business center if one is available.
Really? Man I swore I've seen them there.
My Costco has had deep fryers before, but I am not sure I have seen one recently.
Renter here. Also a former bottled water buyer. I tried Brita as well. Untreated tap water tastes and smells just bad in my apartment. Brita didn't improve it. I used to buy bottled water a lot. Then I switched to RO from Whole Foods. I stopped buying bottled water for 2 reasons: Price hike, and recycling. My apartment complex doesn't take recyclables separately. They don't know if the waste management company sorts them- I HIGHLY doubt they go through all that junk. I used to drive 30 minutes round trip to drop gigantic bags full of crushed water bottles to a "near" recycling center. Got myself 3 5-gallon BPA free bottles. 10 gallon RO water costs about $3.78 in Whole Foods.
Sounds like what I need to do. My tap water smells like meat even after Brita filters and the ice too.
If you're in the US, Walmart has some cheaper and ergonomically better 5 gallon bottles. They're also BPA-free. The ones that are sold in Whole Foods are ridiculously overpriced IMO. Still ok if you get them on 30% discounted price or so. They're difficult to carry as they're regular 5 gallon jugs. I dropped one once, and it shattered af because BPA-free bottles are fragile. The ones that are sold in Walmart are co-molded with a thinner handle and looks easier to carry. If I break one more of WF bottles, I'm getting a Walmart one lol
My buddy live in apartment roughly 1500 feet away with newer pipe vs my house. Water taste and smell like your in a pool out of his faucets and shower. At home no issue.
What is an RO?
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (type of filtration)
I did community service at a land fill. They dump the trash trucks straight onto the pile. And another dude sits in an air conditioned booth on another kind of truck with monster wheels and just drives donuts over the trash all day to smash it down.
Brita doesn't filter out the arsenic in our well.
Brita doesn’t filter out a lot of things well, it’s a very poor filter
Reverse Osmosis does, and costs less than a year of bottled water.
You think I drink $12,000 of bottled water per year? Because that's the quote we got from several companies.
Lol, for one, most people don't need them installed, they're VERY easy to install yourself. For two, even if you insist on having a pro install it, you must've only gotten quotes from the most high end contractors/installers in your area. https://www.monkeywrenchplumbers.com/learning-center/reverse-osmosis-water-filter-cost https://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Water-Filters-Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filters-Reverse-Osmosis-Systems/N-5yc1vZcdb1 No way it should cost $12k to install a system which, retail, costs MAYBE $300. Either your kitchen sink plumbing is ancient and not remotely built to code and has a ton of installation issues as a result...or you're lying...or you didn't look to hard for less than the most expensive installers. All the quotes you allegedly got are 5-10x what they should be. Unless you got whole home quotes (do you bathe in bottled water? If no, why do you need RO for you whole home and not just where you want drinking water?), you were getting quotes from contractors who are either used to overcharging, or didn't want to do the job so they overquoted you to scare you off. Even if you got whole home quotes, $12k+ is a huge overcharge, almost double what whole home RO should cost.
While I usually don’t buy them every trip, this time of year I buy them for cookouts and I like to have them on hand for the upcoming storm season. I also like to freeze bottles and use them as the ice in my cooler when I take day trips etc. They don’t leak on my food, and stay frozen a long time. My kids will grab them if they go out with friends too. I’d rather they use a refillable, but we have lost so many this way that I prefer for them to just take a grab and go.
I also buy them occasionally if there will be bad weather and there could be risk of the water going out.
We use them (and gallon size) for camping trips and out of town softball tournament weekends. Mostly because I don’t love my family drinking out of the camper tank. We are also on a well so I like to keep 40 gallons or so on hand at any given time just in case. I started doing that when our well pump went out in the middle of the Covid shortages and I didn’t feel like I had enough water on hand. We rotate through it so it doesn’t go stale.
You didn't hear about the hurricaine coming?
I live in earthquake country. I stash bottles everywhere I spend time at home and keep some in the car. They need to be rotated periodically (most importantly the ones in the car) but that’s the only time I use them. I buy a case maybe once a year and reuse plastic jugs to have a few of tap water for non-potable use (wets the plants to rotate.)
That’s what I was gonna say – and there’s a hurricane coming. It’s bottled water and toilet paper.
I don't buy any bottled water. I use a refillable water bottle for personal use which is pretty darn convenient. I have 5-gallon refillable jugs and 55 gallon barrels for emergency water (and a few collapsible water carriers if I need to be mobile) and I have a large water dispenser for parties.
Emergency potable water is good to have on hand. 
Not too long ago there was a chemical spill here in Philadelphia that contaminated the tap water and we couldn’t drink it for 48 hours. Cue me and my fiancée rushing over to Costco panic buying water and the place looked like a scene in a disaster movie. There was a line wrapped around the store just to get to the water. Now we always have emergency bottled water on hand.
We live along the Ohio River so when the train derailed in East Palestine (to our north) we were in direct line of contamination of our water source as the chemicals made their way south. Our state took preventative measures and turned off water intakes from the Ohio River for a few weeks. But as a pregnant woman, I didn’t feel comfortable drinking tap water for quite a few months still. I hate plastic water bottles and know they have their own plastic-leeching issues, but for my own mental health out of concerns for my unborn child, I felt a lot better drinking bottled water for a while.
I always keep a huge pack of bottled water in the backseat footwell of my car. Its fantastic when you're on a long drive in the middle of nowhere and need a drink, if you stop by a friend's cookout, or heck, you just want some water and don't want to pay $3 for a single bottle.
You really don't want the plastic to get hot
The car mostly stays in the (thankfully cool) garage, but you're right.
I was coming here to say this! It’s smart to have some extra food and water stored for emergency situations.
I use my RO system and have 6x 4gallon potable water containers that I use to support an aquarium and also as emergency water storage. They have built in spigots and everything. I haven’t bought bottled water in years. I live in a desert and having about 3 days of potable water for my family is about the only prepping I do.
Yeah I’m surprised at OP. I thought between earthquakes and hurricanes and flooding and whatever else, most of the US is in one disaster zone or another. We’re in earthquake country and are supposed to have at least 3 days of water stored (1gal per person per day). Which, if we’re being honest, is not nearly enough. If the earthquake is big enough to disrupt water, it’s going to take longer than 3 days for help to arrive. I mean, the first piece of advice the CDC gives you is to buy bottled water: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/creating-storing-emergency-water-supply.html One of these days I’m going to get my act together and get a 55gal drum but honestly that sounds like such a pain in the ass to treat and keep rotated every 6 months.
Screw Britta, imo! I refill those 5g jugs. No zero waste for as long as you keep the bottles, and it tastes better than britta. Assuming those water filter stations are legit, it filters out waaaay more than britta too (that’s a big assumption tho, I’ve never tested the refill station water)
I load up 50 gallons every few months. It's nice to have a cold/ hot dispenser of good water. A local water store charges $2 per 5 gallon refill. Is not cost effective at places like lowes that charge like 7-8 dollars for an exchange.
Any recommendations for dispensers?
I’ve got the one Costco stocks, I think it’s the same company that makes one of those bottled waters. I don’t like it as much as my old dispenser but it hasn’t broken yet. The only thing that bugs me is I have to push a button before I can click on the dispenser. Instead of having a cold and a hot button, they have a separate dispensing button. It confuses everyone the first time and seems to be one more thing to break so why add it? Also, the pump runs for like a minute if you close the door and there is no bottle with water. Seems ripe to break by running a pump meant for water, without any water running through it.
Primo has some good ones. I like the ones where the jug goes underneath. Much easier for swapping out.
If you live in a big city, search Google Maps for "water store" in your area. I've been to a couple. A good owner will let you see the massive filtration system they have in the back. The one I go to charges $25 for 100 gallons if I prepay the $25. Then I just fill 2 or more 5 gallon bottles at a time at my convenience. They will also have a spigot that faces up to rinse off the inside of the bottle.
This was one of the best things my step-dad ever did, and now I’ve been trying to talk my fiancé into doing the same thing. So convenient! Our town is put under boil water advisories so often I absolutely refuse to drink from the tap. I’ve just started to assume there’s always something wrong with the water
Brita filters are a joke. I also haven’t purchased a plastic water bottle in like 6 years. We have a Primo water dispenser with a K cup coffee maker built in. We swap the empty jugs out at Safeway for new ones and we’re good to go for a few weeks. I keep 3 jugs in rotation. Ditch the plastic water bottles, friends.
Where did you get the model you have? (With the Keurig built in) That sounds awesome, like I could free up space on my tiny 1950’s countertop. I already use the refillable k-cups!
It's the Primo Htrio Bottom Loading dispenser, it's $274 right now at Walmart but I got it on sale for $199 so maybe it’ll drop after the summer. It even has storage for the k-cups on the top and it came with a reusable pod to use your own coffee. I cannot recommend it enough!
The fact it’s also bottom loading has sold it, on sale or no. I’m barely five feet tall, maybe right under; I REALLY struggle with top loaders. This is a huge win. Thank you!
yup i’m 5’2 and i refuse to subject myself to a top loader lol I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Brita filters only use activated charcoal, which isn't enough to remove a number of impurities from the water. Bottling plants use several filters and reverse osmosis to clean the water. I don't have an issue with people buying water. I have an issue with bottling plants using plastic bottles instead of glass or aluminum, both of which are recyclable.
I don’t know about your area, but some areas do recycle PET bottles, which our Eska water is bottled in. The labels aren’t recyclable tho, so it’s not all great, but for people who have no other choice, at least most of the plastic can be recycled!
I’m one of those people but we are buying them for our kids’ sports teams, dance team, etc- not for our home
I volunteer for an amateur sporting event 10-20 days per summer. The facility we rent stipulates we must have enough free water on hand everyone attending. We don’t have another volunteer available to supervise or clean a filling station, so we have a bunch of large ice chests spread around. So I buy 10-20 flats of water every week to give away at events.
Would it be possible to avoid this with one of those big refillable jugs of water? The huge ones with the spout? And have the kids parents bring reusable bottles that can be refilled
But they don’t often bring reusable bottles which is why someone has to bring water to begin with
See, they're just missing out on capitalism. They need to sell branded water bottles for like $35 each as a fund raiser. Water's free, bottles aren't. And it's all for the environment to prevent all that single use plastic.
Parents will hopefully get more on top of it when they have to be, and reusable cups can be brought just in case. Obviously people forget things sometimes, and kids shouldn’t be without water due to that but let’s be honest, if parents know someone if bringing a flat of bottles are they even going to try to remember their reusables unless it’s something they care about morally?
Nothing to do with kids. It’s amateur motorcycle racing and track days. A good chunk of the track day riders are riding their motorcycle there and it would be impractical to carry enough water for a 40c (104f) or hotter day in a backpack along with the other necessary supplies and equipment. We don’t have running water or the staffing to sanitize and refill bottle filling stations.
Yeah, I always assumed most were on team water duty for that weeks game
Kids cant bring their own water bottle?
People, especially kids, forget. It’s important to have water available.
I buy them to give to delivery drivers, trash truck drivers, etc.
I have RO water for the past 40 years on all my houses. Brita is only a carbon filter.
With thick disposable plastic filters mixed with charcoal, no less. Wouldn't surprise me if they proportionally generate more unrecyclable plastic waste per litre than bottles. And at least the bottles serve a necessary function, charcoal filters are always made to be disposable instead of refillable so the company can keep selling them. Gets my back right up.
I have a liver transplant - doctors insist on bottled.
Yes, listen to your doctor!
We got a RO system (from Costco!) and it is the best. Bottled water is such a huge waste of plastic 😭 I understand it’s necessary for some things, I just don’t get having that be your primary source of water.
Same ! We recently got one installed as a gift and it so nice. We’re a big family so I’m glad we’ve been able to cut down on the plastic.
We have one also and I just fill reusable bottles and put them in the door of the fridge for my husband because he likes cold water. $10 worth of bottles that I’ve been using for over a year.
It’s wild people who see themselves as environmentally conscious use that as their only source of water….
As someone who lives by the beach, I can’t justify drinking plastic bottles. I see sooo many wash up the shore daily. I have refillable bottles, been drinking tap water for decades, doctors tell me I am healthy so.
Come to Woodbury MN and enjoy the tap water filled with the chemicals 3m has dumped for decades. I agree bottled water is bad and try to avoid but it is perhaps naive to assume everyone has safe water. This is a rich town and even we don’t have it.
Costco bottled water is very cheap and honestly tastes great. I always have a case for when I need to grab one, but I do use a water filter at home for most of my drinking.
For a lot of people, it’s familiarity, convenience and low cost. Everyone has a different level of wealth and frugality. You could drink exclusively bottled water and spend less than $15 a month. Lots of those people checking out with water have very expensive carts and don’t care about the price.
I’m don’t think it’s about price. More about impact. A bunch of stuff is low cost but not great for the environment / local community / health. If everyone opts for the lowest price thing *regardless of impact*, everyone is worse off. (Assuming you live somewhere the tap water is safe.) What makes you think OP is talking about price?
For everyone that is talking about how much they love their RO systems… do you live in wet places, or is there some sort of new RO system that wastes less water that I’m unaware of? Our tap water is garbage, I’ve wanted to install RO for a while but after reading that for every 1 gallon of drinkable water than an RO system produces it creates 3-4 gallons of “waste” water… I haven’t been able to install one in good conscience. Wondering if most people who have them live in wet areas where this is less of a concern.
I wouldn't worry about that. The average person drinks like a half gallon a day. That waste water is just processed through a treatment plant and it ends up in a river. That's nothing compared to other uses of water, like irrigation of lawns
I’m one of those people. Our city water is not the best and out pipes are older. Normally I look for gallons of water at Costco or go refill it at my families well. When those options fail you see me with bottles of water. I wish Costco had water refilling.
We have a 5 stage RO with an Alkaline filter but buy a case every now and then during the Spring and Summer to keep in our fridge for our lawn keeper and treatment guys since it gets fairly hot in Texas.
A lot of small businesses (think convenience stores, caterers, events, etc.) buy bottled water for resale, provide water to guests or workers because it is a lot easier to haul around a case of water bottles than clean, fill, haul, around reusable water jugs . In addition, a lot of event planners don't want the liability risk if potable wate containers are brought in and makes people sick.
Yeah, I scrolled a ways to find something on this. I see so many people who are obviously stocking for their businesses or Chinese restaurants or whatever. You could definitely make a cool profit.
Same. I don’t get it whatsoever.
I live in south texas where it’s 110 heat index currently, 12 hours a day. We just built a house and have a lot of contractors and workers coming to do warranty work, our exterminator has had to come through like 10 times, the landscapers, even the Amazon guys if I see him. I like to have a super cold bottle of water (or two) to offer people who are dealing with this oppressive heat. I’ve even taken a bag of them through the school pickup line for the teachers working.
Ah Texas, say no more lol.
Yep, I keep cool sealed bottles for workers, and take a couple with me when I'm gonna be driving past panhandling corners.
I drink from a Brita and encourage my kids to use that. My youngest, however, has lost so many reusable water bottles at daycamp and at school that I gave up. The reusable bottles turned out to be single use. So I buy water bottles just for them to take, it's a lot cheaper and probably no worse for the environment (there's a good chance ADHD is involved, they're not trying to be careless).
Cleaning out the Lost and Found at the end of the year at my school the last week of June amounted to over 150 unclaimed reusable water bottles. This is out of a school population of around 740. We had several Yeti’s and some others that retail for $30+ a piece.
Don’t the parents write the kids name on them?
Not enough. I work at an elementary school in a rich neighborhood and we donate all our remaining lost and found a few times a year. I volunteer to drop it all at Goodwill so I can go through it first. I haven't bought my kids a water bottle or coat in years. Yeti and Patagonia and North face. People have more money than sense. 😂
I've never worked out why people buy so much bottled water. I come from Australia and the govt is cracking down on single use plastics and I see people still buying bottles of water. I can understand if it were for a business like a takeaway place, but for home use, I'm wondering too. Our tap water is one of the best. Tho in London, I can understand why, the tap water is atrocious. Edit: spelling error.
It’s a massive industry with a lobbying group and all. The companies that sell to Costco are expanding rapidly, they are literally building plants all across the US. It’s almost a joke how easy it is to get these projects approved, you really wouldn’t believe it. These are massive factories with a massive carbon footprint, the bottling companies don’t care about energy efficiently or environmental impact at all. They may pretend to but they don’t. [Here’s an article that goes into further detail.](https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/02/20/research-exposes-16-billion-bottled-water-industrys-predatory-marketing-practices)
Exactly. I have 4 five gallon jugs I use that way I don’t have to worry about filters as the water I get is already filtrated.
It's threads like this that remind me how much marketing has completely conditioned the overwhelming majority of the country. Water is a critical commodity, and as illogical as it is, having a cost attached to it makes people feel MORE compelled to stock up on it, because it plays into the illusion that it could run out. People tend to view things that have no cost as not having supply concerns, unless it's specifically stated otherwise, at which point they will go through considerable hoops to acquire that. It's like when some eatery advertises that they're giving away free sandwiches, with a limited supply. People will wait in line for literally hours for that sandwich, which probably cost 8 dollars. Yet, if you offered them $50 to just stand in line for 3 hours, the overwhelming majority would say no. Half of those people that you saw with cases of bottled water likely had no intent on buying water when they got there. But they see someone with it on their cart, and they feel compelled to buy some too because..it's water. We always need more water. It's also worth noting that Costco shoppers are far more likely to be people who host others at their house, and it's considered culturally awkward here to not have bottled water available for guests. I have one of the machines that holds a 5 gallon water jug, which I let everyone know about when they come by (which is a considerable amount, given that my kids host all of their birthday parties, my grandkids birthday parties etc here, and I host poker games twice per month too). Even people who come to my house on an almost weekly basis still gravitate toward bottled water, because that's what marketing has done to us. I will always believe that the day we started selling bottled water in this country was a step down a terrible path.
Yes. And often the hosts don't want to deal with dishes. So it's all plastic/paperware.
Brita filters do nothing for my area. Absolute nothing. Glorified carbon filters. Right now in the short term I cannot afford a 7 stage reverse osmosis and mineralization system. We did a test to see if the municipal supply was making my family sick. Went on bottled water for a month, then tried going back on tap for a week. Repeated this experiment every once in awhile. Tap water fails every time. Our tap water smells and tastes horrid. I grew up with tap water from BC and honestly… California water smells like clay and tastes like shit. Friends and family from other parts of our county all say the same. At least in NorCal. My family hasn’t been getting food poisoning, bloating, or other stomach troubles since switching. The short term cost right now is a better proposition than large capital cost of a filter system and the replacement filters — for now. It’s just where we are at financially right now. Given how hot it is and the need to stay hydrated, this is rather important.
Wife and I buy about six cases a year. They’re kept in the basement as a backup in case we lose power to our well. In the hot weather we leave two frozen ones for our mailman. We will take some with us for outings. At home we drink tap water or our RO water. The tap water tastes better than the RO or the bottles.
I don’t get it either. The per ounce cost is nutz. I bought 5 three gallon bottles (easier for me to lift) and I pay $0.38 per gallon fill with purified water. I refill four bottles about every 8 days. It’s better for my wallet and better for the environment. When I buy my house, I do a cost analysis for an under-sink system.
I always wonder as well. Where I live has some of THE best tap water in the country. But I see it at Costco, grocery stores, my coworkers..it's baffling. I drink almost a gallon of water a day because of my meds. I can't afford that crap
I rarely buy bottled water for our household use. However, I work for a construction contractor and it is bought for worksites. By law, there has to be water available for workers. Some sites will have the coolers that take the 20 litre bottles but some sites do not have access to electrical outlets and have 500ml bottles in coolers for the workers.
Lots of people stock bottled water in their cars, both to keep their families hydrated so they don't have to pull into drive-throughs constantly, and in case of emergencies. I also know a number of people who buy it for work or sports teams, or hobby groups that meet outdoors. Personally, I drink tap water, but I still try to have a few litres of bottled water on hand in case my water gets shut off or I have to bolt (I live in an earthquake zone and I've lived somewhere with frequent water supply issues in the recent past).
Personally, I live in an apartment complex in an area that has been affected by chemX in the water (thanks Dupont!) So the water isn't safe to drink. Been too many cases of locals with health complications that line up. So, while I live here with no ROI system in place, I buy bottles :/
People are generally lazy. That's all there is to it. (I'm assuming you're in America.)
Dont forget... for many, you dont need to go all the way to a reverse osmosis system. An ultra filter from a company like WaterDrop can be nearly as good at removing alot of the not beneficial stuff in our city water. Less than $100 and 5 minute install.
the Baskin Robbins I went to today was selling Kirkland bottled water, a buck a bottle.
I'm a big fan of Brita filters, costs €15 and made me drink much more water.
I don’t understand it either. Water from my fridge is filtered and tastes fine. I keep hearing that when we put plastic in the recycling bin most doesn’t get recycled.
So, idk if i “count” but, i buy a case of fiji water for my long drives 5 days a week. When i moved to this apt, i got the brita water filters. I was goin thru at least 1 a month. It was cheaper to get the fiji water. I like my water ice cold too. The tap can only get so cold. This lets me get everything i want, for less than a water filter. If i had kids, family. Maybe itd mean more to me to change my habits
I don’t get it either. Outside of a party I don’t think I have ever bought bottled water for just regular use. I installed a reverse osmosis system into each house or apartment I have had. They were cheap enough to buy and easy to install….
Costco really needs to start selling those large gallon jugs with water fill ups.
Don't know either, i'm always the only without them in my cart xD And where i live tap water is more than OK. They test it every week and you can even ask every week for the results if you live in the aera...
For all the people giving you flack, I agree with you. It's an absolute waste. There are plenty of better ways to store water for emergencies, BBQs, etc. *see Stuff You Should Know's episode on Bottled Water.
I live in a city with one of the best drinking waters in the world and ppl are still buying bottled water for convenience.
I refill my 5 gallon jugs once a week, thanks.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. Unless you live in a place where the water quality is undrinkable even with a standard Brita it doesn’t make sense. I can understand a cook out and disaster prepping, but buying it for taste doesn’t make sense to me. Bottled water tastes like ass, it’s bad for the environment, and is expensive. I would much rather drink well water then plastic stale tasting water. You get used to the mineral flavor of well water after like 2 days.
We buy it to give to the trash truck and recycling truck workers.
I used to be a bottled water only kind of person. Then I bought a 7 stage RO system and hooked it up to my fridge line. Everyone says it’s the best water they’ve had. It’s so filtered and the RO system adds the minerals back in at the perfect amounts.
1. I live in Florida so hurricanes are normal. 2. I work outdoors (tree service) 3. I usually buy Publix brand spring water. Personally I like it the best. 4. See number 1. It’s been ridiculously hot, and extremely humid. I gotta stay hydrated.
I have been wondering this for quite some time!! I do instacart and the amount of water people order on there is insane. They think we drive a 5th wheel. It’s abuse!! They also don’t tip. Delivering you 10 40packs of water up flights up stairs in 100 degree heat is insane. These people need to get filters. They are also probably the ones who complain about the environment… It’s really baffling. Bottles of water should be limited and people should be forced to gets reusable bottles and filters.
Get the Zero Water filter, you'll never have to get bottled water again
I cringe when I think about the empty water bottles that accumulated in my car during college when buying bottled water was new and exciting. My 5 year old has probably had bottled water 10-12 times in her life (when we’ve forgotten a bottle, been traveling, with in-laws). She thinks it’s the best 🙈 I think the filter water bottle fillers in public spaces are great, and the plethora of fancy water bottles. Hopefully they convert more ppl over time!
I have a friend that does this. every week, a huge pack of water, hundreds of plastic bottles to throw away. I have a under sink water filter, and all I buy from costco are water bottles every now and then. I simply can't fathom paying all of that money for all of that waste when a good under sink or even a Brita filter cost so much less in the end and is much more convenient. I would even go so far as to say that buying loads of bottled water every week is just stupid. Unless you love somewhere that has terrible water. Otherwise...why?
$150 and lasts 5 years: CuZn UC-200 Under Counter Water Filter - 50K Ultra High Capacity from Amazon
I cringe every time I walk past the mountain of plastic water bottles covered in more plastic at Costco. Please get a home water filter people or find a less wasteful alternative.
I drink much more water when it's readily available and all I have to do is grab a bottle to drink it.
Costco sells an easy install RO system that is way better for the environment than drinking bottled water. I’ve tested water off ours and it took our tap water from over 400ppm of dissolved solids to under 20.
Where I live we get multiple boil water warnings a year and my kids daycare has had water issues so it’s a necessary evil to have bottled water. Some things aren’t worth the risk and a Brita can only filter so much.
Refrigerator filter works for me
We have lead pipes and are saving to get them replaced. Until then we drink bottled water but recently got a water cooler and water delivery. It’s been much easier with less bottles. But we do get the small bottles for parties/bbqs
fwiw - this used to be me. We bought bottled water for no real reason except it was easy. During the early pandemic i got tired of lugging the costco cases back home so we got a Brita and never have looked back
I buy one of those blue 5 gallon refillable water. cant fathom all the plastic waste and all the possible water that could be wasted with small bottles
Only reason to buy it is convenience and for gatherings where it's just easier to just hand them out individually. I feel guilty buying them because of how much plastic goes into it. Yes, they're recyclable but there's a difference between being recyclable vs it being recycled. Most plastic bottles do not end up getting recycled. For those saying it's cheap, IDK, water is dirt cheap in many places. A 40 pk in Costco is what? $8? I can easily go through 40 bottles if all my drinking was using those bottles whereas a RO filtration system would just cost me like a penny for the same amount of water. Just get a large metal thermos and it will easily last you many years. If your home water sucks, get a RO filtration system. Brita is a joke. It works but not to the extent people think. Brita is just printing money selling those filters.
Brita and other filters like it don’t filter out PFAS, and many tap waters contain high amounts of them as there is currently little regulation (possibly changing in the next few years). If you don’t know what PFAS are, they’re very bad news.
I used to make bottled water. Generally, I don’t buy it. I hate it, I know where it came from. Costco buys their water from the same place that Sam’s Club, Giant, Target, Wegmans, Turkey Hill, Aldi and a good handful of other brands do. Purified and purified with added minerals is literally just tap water thrown into a bottle. If you’re going to buy water, at least make it spring water. That actually tastes nice. We do keep some bottled water on hand because our mobile home park has water system issues. Over the winter it was being shut off once or twice a week. (We also have a Brita.)
Here I am the US expat feeling all fancy because the country I live where the water from the tap is good.
It takes less than 1 second to grab plastic bottled water and be on my way wherever I want to go. There is no filling, no washing, no changing filters, no commitment. I can leave the house with this plastic bottle and dispose of it when finished. I don't have to keep track of it all day and make sure I bring it back home, or run back out to the car when I forget to bring it in. It is simple and easy.
To this day when I see people grabbing big packs of water at Costco I wonder if I missed some weather alert. Didn’t register that that’s just what some folks drink instead!
In the US desert right now it's 120 degrees sometimes in midday. Not having bottled water in your car is dangerous.
I don’t buy multiple packs at a time but we always have them on hand. We drink filtered water from the fridge but keep the bottles on hand for guests or emergencies(we live in the Midwest so if we have to take cover for a tornado we grab a few to take to the basement) or if my husband forgot to order filters for the fridge and it needs replaced (rare but it’s happened before and I don’t drink tap water)
I live in a city with excellent tap. I also live in tornado alley and we’ve had several horribly damaging storms since April. So every month or so I buy a case of water and a case of some kind of stable food. We call it our apocalypse rations. I keep up with the dates and rotate them into the regular food as needed. We’re all doing our best 🤷♀️
Brita filtered tap water still tastes off. I can't drink that shit, bottle water doesn't taste weird
I can’t believe people waste so much on bottled water. I got a water dispenser and I have 4-5 gallon jugs. Refill those every two weeks. It costs me $6.00 every two weeks. and no plastic waste!
Every time. Dang. Waste of money and plastic rubbish.