Bottled Water Controversies

Published on by in Social

I never really bought into the whole bottled water craze, but this was an interesting article to read. What are your thoughts on the bottled water industry?

1 Answer

  1. Hi Carol, It depends on where you are, and the type of material the bottles are made of. There are several issues here- one is that in many countries bottled water is the only safe drinking water (many places in Mexico, India...). The other is the state of the pipes, true, treatment for water coming to your tap in the US is very well regulated, but that is when it leaves the plant. By the time it goes through pipes in NYC (coming out orange in many apartments I have visited) I would rather drink bottled. PET is a scourge of the earth, the material must be biodegradable. Water rights are complex, not unified, vary state by state in the US, and make no sense as water knows no boundaries. My view is that water rights must take a holistic approach. I have much respect for Peter Gleick and the work of the Pacific Institute. Independent bodies like this should be used as consultants more to help governments solve the problem. In Switzerland the VSA takes this approach - have a look http://vsa.ch/en/about-vsa/

    1 Comment

    1. Thanks for the insight, Trudi. Water bottles seem to be a touchy subject with some people. But you are right that there are many factors that must be considered in regards to the industry. In looking at the bigger picture, it's just scary to think about what people must do to get clean water.