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AIBU

Bottled water

(108 Posts)
Sallywally1 Sat 01-Jun-24 11:17:37

Am I being unreasonable to dislike the amount of bottled water people drink? The UK has the safest tap water in the world and we should be grateful for this. Instead people buy unnecessary, in my view, bottled water and in addition the containers add to the growing mountain of plastic which also worries me.

Gummie Sat 01-Jun-24 11:21:41

Sallywally1

Am I being unreasonable to dislike the amount of bottled water people drink? The UK has the safest tap water in the world and we should be grateful for this. Instead people buy unnecessary, in my view, bottled water and in addition the containers add to the growing mountain of plastic which also worries me.

I agree. I do not understand why people drink bottled water at home. All that expense and extra plastic pollution.

Perfectly good tap water available in every home. I suppose a fair few people have more money than sense.

Cabbie21 Sat 01-Jun-24 11:25:32

I don’t like the taste of our tap water but I regularly fill a reusable bottle from the tap to keep hydrated especially when singing, as do all the members of my choirs.
I agree that bottled water is a waste of money and bad for the environment but you can’t get sparkling water from a tap!

Romola Sat 01-Jun-24 11:31:10

It cannot be right to put water in plastic bottles onto a lorry and transport it hundreds of miles.
I don't particularly like the water where my daughter lives, but I drink it anyway and am getting used to it.

Gilly33 Sat 01-Jun-24 11:35:19

We have stopped drinking bottled water after reading an article about the millions of microplastics, invisible to the eye, are floating around in it.

Sago Sat 01-Jun-24 11:37:56

I don’t get it either, it’s just not sustainable and as Gilly said the microplastics are worrying.
I am happy with tap water.

AGAA4 Sat 01-Jun-24 11:43:07

As we have seen recently we can't always guarantee that our tap water is safe to drink. I do agree about the amount of plastic being used on bottled water.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 01-Jun-24 11:48:53

We drink tap water. Never bottled.

Kate1949 Sat 01-Jun-24 11:54:35

A couple I know lives in Paignton. Their tap water has made them ill, along with many others in that area.

NotSpaghetti Sat 01-Jun-24 11:58:12

I have a water filter so don'tbuy bottled water. I changed the cartridge yesterday and immediately can tell the difference in taste.
You may have tried a filter Cabbie21?

I do buy sparkling water and have some in the fridge all the time. As we don't drink other fizzy drinks or buy cordials etc in plastic I'm afraid I don’t like it but do accept it.
There's a lot of stuff sold in plastic that I don't buy (now I think about it) - buttery spreads, oils, vinegars, ketchup, mayo, syrups, etc.

The same sparking water is available in glass. I buy this if feeling "flush" but in addition to the cost it doesn't fit into my fridge as well - so that's a disincentive.
😕

NotSpaghetti Sat 01-Jun-24 12:00:26

I definitely buy bottled water for drinking if abroad. I don't want to spoil a holiday with sickness!
I buy the same brand.

NotSpaghetti Sat 01-Jun-24 12:01:12

*I mean the same brand each trip

Philippa111 Sat 01-Jun-24 12:07:50

I think bottled water is ridiculous and such a waste of money not to mention all the plastic required, not only for the bottles but for the shrink wrap on 6.
And for those who think their tap water isn't good you can get filtration jugs, devices plumbed in etc. Obviously there will be a few exceptions who genuinely need bottled water but we can't just go merrily on avoiding the facts of plastic pollution, global warming etc.
I have to say it takes me all my time not to say anything to people whose trollies are full of bottled water. In my book it's irresponsible.

Sallywally1 Sat 01-Jun-24 12:10:07

I also get fed up with all the unnecessary packaging on lots of items. I fear we are leaving future generations a big mess to clear up.

Fast fashion is another issue (it’s got me going now!), lots of discarded clothing ends up in huge piles of landfill in 3rd world countries, which in my opinion is a disgrace. My parents and grandparents kept their clothing for years. Maybe it was better made? I’m too young to remember the Second World War, but what happened to make do and mend! My mum used to mend sheets.

fancythat Sat 01-Jun-24 12:11:26

I had a very bad reaction to what my GP thinks was "bad water" from another country, a few months ago.

It has now made me vary wary.
I drink tap water at home.

Recently DH and I went somewhere and with a meal I asked for tap water.
Afterwards my DH said, why would you do that? At least ask for bottled water.

I think he has a point.

Up to this time last year, I was all for tap water.

Chucky Sat 01-Jun-24 12:14:19

I don’t like the taste of tap water, but don’t want to add to the plastic mountain by buying bottled water. I therefore have a water filter jug and fill that from my tap, I also use my filtered water to make ice cubes.
The filtered water is much nicer than tap water, or bottled water.

Spuddy Sat 01-Jun-24 12:16:40

I fully agree with you 100%!

I drink LOADS of cold water every 24 hours, more than 8 glasses at a time but I use refillable bottles such as those sipper bottles with the straw in the lid that goes into the bottle and refillable metal bottles, then just refill with cold water when needed.

I'd never buy a multiple pack of cold water, throwaway bottles, drink the water then toss the bottles!

25Avalon Sat 01-Jun-24 12:18:49

Tell that to the people in Brixham!!

Spuddy Sat 01-Jun-24 12:19:48

I'm a member of Free The Ocean and every day I get emails from them where they ask a question, you get multiple answers and for every one you get right they remove 1 piece of plastic from the ocean and they do monthly ocean-related crosswords and sell ocean goodies! I love their site!

TerriBull Sat 01-Jun-24 12:23:54

We have Brita jug to filter water, I don't like the taste of it unfiltered. However, the government have issued a directive to stash some bottled water ....just in case! Of course we never know if a water authority may give us a water borne disease at some time in the future, so yes do have some bottled water in the garage.

ayse Sat 01-Jun-24 12:24:16

Whilst we lived in Turkey everyone bought bottled water in huge containers that were returned and refilled and resold. We were warned by the locals not to drink the tap water. The water we bought came from wells further up the country. So as far as I was concerned this was fine.

Here in the UK we pay for our water and it should be fit to drink. The water companies have a duty to provide safe water. They should be fined for their failures and give better compensation for injury caused by their short comings. I don’t drink bottled water unless I have to because of the micro plastics. Whilst we lived in the West Midlands we had a built in water filter. It made a huge difference to the taste of the water. Here in the NE the water is soft and tastes ok.

Calendargirl Sat 01-Jun-24 12:24:33

You don’t get charged for tap water if you ask for it in a restaurant.

You will get charged if they bring you bottled.

PamelaJ1 Sat 01-Jun-24 13:39:25

25Avalon

Tell that to the people in Brixham!!

It is appalling and should never have happened in the U.K.
When I was growing up we had to boil all our water and it seemed really special to just fill a glass from a tap when we were on leave.
My dad worked in the PWD and providing water for the colony was his job. He died over 20 years ago but had a low opinion of the way the water companies were being run in this country even then.
We don’t buy bottled water but have a water filter and a Sodastream for sparkling.

Purplepixie Sat 01-Jun-24 13:41:09

I agree. We pay our water rates and then buy bottled water - barmy!

RosiesMaw Sat 01-Jun-24 13:43:58

I like the taste of Buxton sparkling water so make no apology for drinking it.
But the best ever water I have ever drunk was when I was au pairing in the French Alps and the water came straight from a stream on the mountain behind our chalet.
Unfiltered, ice cold and of course untreated.
Best not to think of the occasional livestock paddling through the stream to get to the grazing on the other side!
(Don’t try this at home Severn Trent! )