What’s wrong with drinking water from the faucet or fountain?

Been Thinkin'

By Bibb Underwood

Where did the bottled water fad come from? Had you told me a few years ago you were going to start a bottled water company, I would have said, “Yeah, and I’m reviving the Pet Rock craze.” I would have never imagined that people would pay $2.00 for a bottle of something they can get for free right from the kitchen faucet. But then, Barnum or Bailey or W.C. Fields or Alfred E. Newman once said, “No one ever lost money underestimating the wisdom of the American public.”

I must admit when I was a kid — looong time ago — we had bottled water. The bottle was a Mason jar, wrapped in burlap. We filled it with water, wet the burlap to cool it, and took it to the field with us when we chopped cotton; or we put it on the tractor when we plowed. We also carried water with us when we traveled. It was in a canvas bag that hung from the radiator cap of the ’36 Ford sedan. Air blowing on the canvas bag was supposed to cool the water, but I could never determine that it did.

Of course, that is not the kind of bottled water we see today. I’m talking about the likes of Aquafina, Dasani, or Evian. (Evian is, appropriately, naïve spelled backwards. Look it up.) There are actually hundreds of brands of bottled water out there. The only thing more ubiquitous than bottled water these days is the cell phone.

Some of these waters are supposed to be “purified.” Some are “fortified.” Some are from “mountain springs.” Some are flavored (yuck). And some are “energized.”

I Googled three brands, just to see what they really have that makes them special.

Aquafina is made by the Pepsi Cola company, and is “derived from a municipal source.” That is, it comes from some city water supply, just like your tap water. It is treated with reverse osmosis to remove nearly all the natural minerals, and that gives it a light mellow taste.

Dasani is made by the Coca Cola company, and it also comes from some city’s tap water. Like Aquafina, it goes through reverse osmosis to remove most of the natural minerals, but, unlike Aquafina, some of the minerals are added back to the water.

Evian, a French product, comes from a natural aquifer at Haute Savoie. It was discovered in 1789 by the Marquise de Lessert and Google reports “,,,there is really nothing exceptional in Evian’s chemistry besides the strong level of Silica and low sodium content.”

No matter where you look someone is carrying a bottle of water or swigging from one. As far as I know, we still have public water fountains in most locations — grocery stores, gymnasiums, doctor’s offices, ad infinitum. I admit that I have read that most of us are under-hydrated most of the time. My wife admonishes me about drinking more water. She says I don’t drink enough.

As with almost every other issue, there are two sides to that one. One health article tells me to drink eight 12-ounce glasses of water every day. The next one tells me to drink when I’m thirsty. I drink when I’m thirsty — from the kitchen faucet or the public water fountain. Maybe I would be healthier if I drank the eight glasses of water a day, but, if I did, at my age, I would probably spend most of my time in the bathroom.

As a cyclist, I actually drink lots of water. Almost all cyclists have some form of water supply on the bike. Those who can ride and chew gum at the same time usually have a couple of water bottles attached to the bike frame. Occasionally, they will reach down, get the bottle, tip their head back and take a long draw. I carry a Camelbak on my back with a tube through which I can siphon water without letting go of the handlebars. And I don’t have to take my eyes off the road.

Oh, I have a water bottle on my bike. It contains CO2 cartridges, sun screen and a cleaning rag.

This is not a tirade against bottled water. I admit, we buy it from time to time, but I get a queasy feeling when we do. Not because Evian is naïve spelled backwards, but because the plastic bottles are a real nuisance. I understand they are filling the landfills and have a life span in excess of 900 years. Further, there are rumors that some of the plastic bottles contain unsafe chemicals that contaminate the water. That seems to make bottled water a lose/lose situation.

Nevertheless, wherever you go, there are people with that ever-present bottle of water. Makes me wonder if George Strait ever gets calls about that “…ocean-front property in Arizona.”

• bibbundewood@yahoo.com