Bottled Water is Out, Tap Water is IN
04 Feb 2009 ~ Categories: blog • eco-living • products
Bottled water used to be all the rage. There was a time not that long ago when you wouldn’t see a photograph of a celebrity without a plastic bottle of water attached to their hand like the world’s hippest accessory. And in every yoga class or gym, bottled water was ubiquitous. Fiji water seemed like the best new product since sliced bread.
Then I heard the other side of the story. The side about how Fiji water is shipped from so far away that the shameless energy expended in its extraction and distribution far outweighs any health benefits you might glean from the stuff. And then there’s the little matter of what happens to the bottle when you are done drinking the water. It doesn’t turn into compost, I’ll put it that way.
Tap water has a bad rap, but here’s a little secret: the United States has the most healthy and least dangerous potable tap water of any country in the world. In the Bay Area in particular, our tap water comes from “high Sierra snowmelt from the pristine Hetch Hetchy Reservoir” (according to sfwater.org – read more about it). You could pretty much drink this water straight out of the river without much worry, and that’s before it goes through the technologically superior water system that we are lucky to be privy to.
Bottled water, on the other hand, is subject to nasty plastics that can leach into your body in an insidious but invisible way. I try to drink more out of the tap. If you’re worried about too much chlorine, fluoride or potential contaminants, use a simple filtration system like a Brita. I’m trying to cut plastic bottles of water out of my life. We don’t carry them at IO. We do sell a bottled water for our parched guests and that’s Antipodes which comes in an elegantly reusable or recyclable glass bottle. And the water we serve to yoga and spa guests is none other than filtered San Francisco tap water.
Okay I know what you’re thinking, tap water? Really? Well, in NYC there’s now even a company bottling and selling New York City tap water! The message of this company flies in the face of the outlandish purity claims of other bottled waters. But it’s still selling water in plastic bottles which I’m not into. For more on this catchy story check out an article about the aptly named, Tap’dNY.
And if you need a little tap water pick-me-up, here are a few easy ways to spice up the on tap experience:
Use an Eco / Body-Friendly Water Bottle
I like my cute SIGG water bottle instead of buying into all that plastic. It’s reusable and not harmful to your health.
Filter Your Own
Sometimes I filter my tap water (and add healthy minerals) by soaking Japanese bamboo charcoal in it. You can get drinking-water grade charcoal in Japantown at various shops like Boulettes Larder in the SF Ferry Building.
Warm It Up
I warm it up with a little lemon and ginger, maybe even some honey. This is a great morning-time tea. It gets the digestive juices flowing for a healthy start to the day.
Mix It Up
I mix it up in a pitcher with fruits and herbs I find in my fridge or cupboard. You’d be surprised what creative combinations you can come up with: herbs like fresh mint and thyme are great, and pretty much any fruit will add a yummy twist to the plain stuff.
For me, the bottom line on water is that it’s good stuff, often even the kind right out of the tap. Simply put, water flushes things out and is the easiest, healthiest way I know to aid elimination. I try to drink a lot of it. Sometimes I forget, but I try, try again.
Go ahead, drink the water,
Amy
09 Feb 2009
Leslie Wang
So right on. For a world that always feels “tapped” out, I’m loving the return back to the faucet. It’s definitely a shift in thinking, but I’m with you. Fill that Sigg bottle up, drink from the sink and get creative with the many ways to drink the water! I’m going to check out soaking Japanese bamboo charcoal :) Thanks AD!