Background
Almost all species on earth require regular intake of fresh water, especially us mammals. For man in particular, as we began our nomadic ways, travel and migration was dictated in large part by water availability. Primarily we followed rivers and creeks. Eventually we noted the location of spring-fed ponds and lakes. This reliance dictated our movements for eons.
At some point we figured out how to transport water in clay jars and animal skins/bladders and began trekking across drier climates. This carried on to modern times with the ubiquitous canteen. And some time in the 7th century B.C. the Assyrians built an aqueduct to deliver water across many miles to the city of Nineveh, probably the first municipal water system.
But most of today’s population is just as removed from the sourcing of water as they are their food. We don’t raise our own crops or animals, and we don’t have to pump our own water. And then some time around twenty years ago we started seeing bottled water show up on the grocery store shelves, right next to the soft drinks.
And thus the trend began. More and more of us, especially here in America, have stopped drinking water from the faucet. Our tap water is provided by a local entity, usually the city or county, or a rural water district. We pay for it with our taxes and other fees, and yet we increasingly reject it for drinking and instead pay yet more money to drink water from our grocery store shelf.
Enter the Bottle
Water at the grocery store comes from many sources. Most of the bottled water comes from either municipal sources or springs. In addition most grocery stores have a water filtration system where you can fill your own water bottle. The filtration is typically some form of charcoal and/or reverse osmosis, but the source is the same tap water in your kitchen.
Oddly enough, tap water is more likely to be filtered and is tested for chemicals and contaminants *much* more frequently than bottled water. Oversight for municipal water systems is handled by the EPA, while the FDA oversees bottled water.
Bottled water’s popularity is due in part to problems people perceived with the taste or chemical composition of tap water. But while tap water might have once suffered in comparison, bottled water has the added burden of being very expensive and wasteful of resources. The amount of plastic water bottles in our local landfills is staggering. And the worst part is that once plastic has been created it almost never goes away. When all of the wood and metal and other man-made material in our landfills has long biodegraded the mountains of plastic will still persist.
Still not convinced? Watch this short but amazingly informative video from the great folks over at the Story of Stuff.
Obviously the portability of bottled water is a big factor in its popularity. But given the high cost to the environment, it would be nice if there were clean, safe, environmentally friendly and inexpensive alternatives. I decided to research this issue and here are my results so far. I hope you find it helpful and informative!
For the home:
- Bottled water delivery – this is available almost everywhere, and it is very convenient. It is more expensive than tap water or water filtered at home, but it is less expensive than buying individual bottles at the store. It is more environmentally friendly since the large 3-5 gallon bottles are re-used, but like bottled water at the grocery store it is delivered gas-burning trucks.
- In-home filtration – this might be the best of both worlds. The water delivery is automatic through your city’s pipes, and the cost is the same you pay right now. Your taxes already support the maintenance. If taste is an issue, or you are concerned with trace chemicals, etc., you can add a water filter. This can be as simple as something that attaches to the faucet or as fancy as a unit that filters and softens the entire house.
New Wave Enviro Premium 10 Stage Filter System
This countertop water filter system contains a patented 10-Stage contaminant removing filter cartridge. It lasts 3 times as long as the common carbon block filters (1500 gal. vs. 500 gal.).
This filter removes or greatly reduces Chlorine; cancer-causing organic/chlorine compounds called Trihalomethanes (THM); bad odors, e.g., Hydrogen Sulfide, which gives water a rotten egg smell; pesticides; herbicides; PCB’s; toxic heavy metals (i.e., Lead, Cadmium), Organic Arsenic, micro-organisms (protozoa and cysts) such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia; and dozens of other lesser known organic contaminants.
But some things are left IN the water, inert minerals such as Magnesium and Potassium; chlorides and fluorides. If you are concerned about Fluoride, New Wave makes a Reverse Osmosis System as well.
For personal use:
- Filtered bottles – these are water bottles that contain their own filter. The obvious benefit is that you don’t have to buy a filter for the house, and you can refill from any source. If you are at someone else’s home or at work, your water can taste the same.
EcoUsable 25oz Filtered Water Bottle – Metallic Green
(click here for a review of this drink bottle)
This stainless steel bottle comes with it’s own flip-top filter! The 25 oz. bottle holds 22 oz. after you take the filter into account. The Ionic-Adsorption Micro-Filtration system removes 99.99% of pollutants and lasts for 100 gallons, or about a year. This filter is like having a water treatment plant in a bottle! It gets rid of the following:
* Aesthetics: unpleasant taste, odor, clarity, chlorine, sand, sediment and Radon 222.
* Biological: Pathogens such as cryptosporidium, giardia & other cysts and spores.
* Chemicals: toxic chemicals, detergents, pesticides and other harmful industrial and agricultural wastes.
* Dissolved Solids: heavy metals such as aluminum, asbestos, copper, lead, mercury and others.
If you enjoy hiking you can literally drink from tap water, streams, rivers, lakes and pools! Trust me, you don’t want to try this without a filter!
The bottles are 304 food grade stainless steel, non-leaching, BPA-free and taste-neutral.
- Unfiltered bottle – most non-disposable bottles are either plastic, nalgene or some form of metal, usually aluminum or stainless steel. The metal ones are more expensive up front but are 100% recyclable and thus very environmentally friendly, not to mention extremely durable.
- Klean Kanteen – On Sale! Exclusive Eco-Conscious Line of Stainless Steel Klean Kanteen Bottles
Klean Kanteen bottles are all stainless steel and their tops and spouts are made with bisphenol A-free plastic (BPA).
- Nathan Bottle – Love Bottles
Nathan has a line of stainless steel bottles with a ‘stainless’ flip straw for sip-and-go convenience. The lid has a patent-pending finger loop and QuickClip to easily attach to a belt, shoulder strap or pack strap. BPA-free. 3″ x 9″
