A Bottle of Deception

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 10

A Bottle of Deception

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is episode #10 which is called A Bottle of Deception.

For those of you that know me, you know very well that I spend a lot of time outdoors. I go hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, scuba diving and I love to travel. Obviously I am not afraid of a good adventure. But, allow me to share with you a story about the worst and most miserable hiking experience in my entire life.

I would first like to ask a simple question. How many of you have traveled internationally? Well, I can only hope that the majority of listeners say, “Well of course I have!!” Well, I decided to take a couple of months off and travel to Ecuador. One of the things that was recommended to do while I was there was to go hiking in the cloud forest. This part of Ecuador is outside of a small community called Mindo, which is in northern Ecuador.

Anyway, Annette and I got on a bus out of Quito and ended up in Mindo a few hours later. We had booked a stay at a lodge about 3 miles outside of the town. There were few taxis in town and none were available at the time of our arrival so we walked. No one at the lodge spoke any English so it was time to break out the Spanish. Anyway, we were in the middle of the jungle, a very quiet and peaceful place.

However, by the next day, we both started feeling quite ill, presumably from drinking some bad water. A lot of the tap water in Ecuador needs to be filtered or you have to purchase bottled water. Anyway, if any of you have ever been in an isolated place and have horrible gastrointestinal problems, you know just how unpleasant it can be. Literally for three days I was either laying in bed or sitting on the toilet with foul liquid stuff coming out of both ends.

Now, keep in mind we were only going to be in Mindo for 5 days. So, by day 4 things were improving substantially and I was at least keeping liquids down. But as you can imagine, I was not physically in good condition. Annette felt better than I did. But, I was in no condition to go hiking but I told Annette I wanted to see the cloud forest. Besides, we had no idea if we would ever return to the area.

So, we hired a taxi to drive us 6 miles out into the jungle and drop us off at the end of the road, which came to a dead end at a trail head. I managed to go on a 6 mile hike through the jungle literally walking around like a zombie, taking photos. If it were not for all the photos I took, I would have barely remembered the hike.

After we got back to the road, we then had to walk the 6 miles back to town. Oh and let’s not forget the 8 foot wide swath of army ants we encountered and had to figure out how to get over those guys. All in all I hike 12 miles that day while walking around like a zombie with my eyes half closed.

Okay, so the point of my story is that we should have stuck to the bottled water. We should have been more careful. And besides, this was not my first trip out of the country.

So obviously there are times when you should buy bottled water or find some other alternative. However, that is not usually the case in first world countries, and certainly not in the United States.

So why it it that we Americans are so obsessed with purchasing bottled water?? How did it become a $12 billion dollar industry.

So, allow me to pose a question to you.

What if I told you I had a new business where I was going to sell something on the internet. Now my new product is going to cost a lot of money but that’s okay because I telling you it’s better than the stuff that most people get for free, or almost free. Not only that, you have to go to the market place to get my product.

But, the free stuff, or almost free stuff is already delivered right into your home. But what you don’t know is that the quality of my product is the same as the stuff that you already get for free. But you don’t know that because I have a fantastic marketing department and a huge advertising budget that clearly states my product is better.

And that folks is how the bottled water industry became a $18.5 billion industry in the United States in 2017. But, we live in this massive consumer culture so we should be accustomed to being sold things that we don’t really need. But as savvy consumers we presumable purchase one product over another because it is better, or higher quality, or even safer. Right???

So, which is better, which is safer, which is healthier bottled water or tap water. Because, in my case in Ecuador, bottled water was a necessity. But in the US, bottled water has gone from a convenience to a primary choice. Over 90% of people who purchase bottled water cite their reason as being “safety” or “quality”.

But is that really the truth. Or are we being deceived. So instead of safe drinking water, are we being sold a bottle of deception.

First of all allow me to debunk some of the myths or misunderstanding that circles around bottled water.

One of the first things I looked into was where bottled water actually comes from. Now I found varying statistics but after viewing several reports, my conclusion is that somewhere between 40% and 65% of bottled water actually comes from municipal sources. That means the bottled water you are drinking is the same as the free stuff or almost free stuff that is delivered directly to your home. AND you are paying about 2000 times more money for it.

The next thing I looked into was whether or not bottled water was actually safer than tap water.

Now, there is no doubt that the major names in the bottled water industry, such as Nestle, Coco Cola, Pepsi Company and certainly Fiji and Perrier truly focused on providing a quality product. However, 70% of the bottled water sold in the US is not even regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Now this is not an issue IF and I say IF the state regulations are stiffer than the Feds.

Now I did find a study that was done in 1999 by the Natural Resources Defense Council that took 3 samples from 100 different brands of bottled water. What was shown was that 1/3 of the water contained chemical or bacterial contaminants above acceptable state and industry standards.

Now I know that nothing is perfect folks but this is similar to the government saying that certain levels of pesticides in our food sources is considered safe. Now does that make any sense to you???? Well, maybe that is why I have a big greenhouse.

Are you beginning to see where I am going with this. Are your really being sold a safe product or are you being sold a bottle of deception.

So let’s talk for a moment about contaminants found in bottled water.

Allow me to pose a question. Would you knowingly and willingly consume arsenic? I hope you said NO!!

Yet arsenic is commonly been found as a contaminate in bottled water.

Another contaminant is plastic particles.

A 2018 study that analyzed 259 bottled waters from around the world found that 93 percent of them contained “microplastic” particles. Of the 11 popular brands that were tested in this study, the average plastic particle count was 325 per liter. And the worst offender was Nestle Pure Life which contained 10,000 microplastic particles per liter.

Additionally, animal models and other research suggests that micro plastics can disrupt your endocrine system, promote inflammation and over time can accumulate in organs such as the liver, kidneys, and intestines. And it is well known that many diseases and even cancer is the result of chronic inflammation.

Now, what about E Coli. Actually you may say that this is nothing new. And unfortunately you would be right that hearing reports os various food products contaminated with E coli is nothing new. But in 2015, fourteen bottled water brands were recalled after an E coli contamination.

But, bottle water may also be contaminated with mold. In 2017 the FDA released an alarming report about one particular brand of bottled water that contained significant levels of mold. Due to consumer complaints, the Kroger supermarket chain tested the water themselves and found the complaints to be correct.

But what about other chemicals and potential carcinogens.

There was a 2018 study conducted by Water Research that found that certain substances that are added to plastics that can be associated with increased risk of cancer, are often present in bottled water. It is also interesting to note that many trihalomethane compounds, such as chloroform and bromoform, are considered cancer causing agents. In a 2008 study performed by the Environmental Working Group found various trihalomethane compounds in 4 brands of bottled water at levels 2 to 3 times that of the industry standard.

So at this point, let’s get back to the concept that 90% of people the drink bottled water do so because their perception is that it is safer. But when you think about arsenic, plastic particles, mold, E coli and carcinogens is it really safer?

Or are you being sold a bottle of deception?

Now please don’t get me wrong, there are times in the United States that drinking the local tap water is not safe. This may due to environmental contamination due to industry, agriculture or maybe even old, out dated plumbing.

But, by far and away the biggest percentage of tap water in the United States is safe. So, how did we get convinced that is was not safe.

Well, think of it this way. Remember earlier in the podcast I told you about my new business of selling you a product that was presumably better than what you got for free but you had no idea that is was of equal of even lower quality than the product you got for free or almost free, because I had a enormous advertising budget to convince you of such non-sense.

So, here’s the thing. The combined advertising budget of Pepsi, Coca Cola and the Nestle company sits around $14 billion a year.

Now do you think your local municipality has that kind of money in their budget or do you think they don’t even have an advertising budget to convince you that their drinking water is safe.

What is comes down to is that we are being sold a bottle of deception. And the average American consumes about 30 gallons of bottled water a year. Wow!

But what about the overall cost?

Tap water in the US costs about 0.005 cents per gallon. The same amount of water consumed by combining multiple single serving bottles costs about $9.47.

See, now I told you that my new product was a lot more expensive right? But it is better, right?

But many people think bottled water taste better. Yet in blind studies people were unable to discern the difference.

But, let’s just take a look at this from the perspective of sustainability.

Where do you think the municipal water comes from? Well, it come from rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, etc. That water is then processed at a treatment plant and then piped into your homes and businesses. According to the Center for Disease Control, the CDC, the United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world.

But what about the overall environmental impact? Water is collected, processed at the treatment plant, is pumped to your house, you drink it, then wash the glass either by hand or in a dishwasher. All of this has an environmental impact. However, the water is never placed or shipped in a disposable plastic container which ends up in a landfill.

It is estimated that in 2020 Americans used about 50 billion plastic bottles. At a rate of only 9% recycling, which is declining by the way, that means that about 45 billion plastic bottles are wasted every year.

Since the introduction of PET in plastics in the 1970’s the use of plastic bottles has skyrocketed. But the amount of waste is appalling.

Okay, I have two arbitrary questions.

What is the distance from Earth to the Sun?

Well it is 91.774 million miles.

Second question. What is the circumference of the Earth?

That is 24,901 miles.

Now what is my point here?

In 2016 more than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles were sold around the world. That is enough to extend more that halfway to the sun if placed end to end. In the United States alone we drink enough bottle water in one week to orbit the planet twice.

By the end of 2021, the world market for bottled water is expected to reach. $300 billion. Now imagine if only half of that money was redirected into sustainable projects instead of creating an enormous amount of waste.

So, back to my business idea that I talked about earlier.

I am going to sell you a product that is going to cost you a lot of money. But, I am going to convince you that it is better than the same product that is delivered for free, or almost free, right to your home. Instead of paying one half of one cent per gallon you are going to pay $9.47 per gallon.

The product is called A Bottle of Deception. And on the back will be a warning label that says “May contain arsenic, micro plastics, mold, E coli, and several carcinogens” However, levels of these materials are within acceptable industry standards. And by the way, please drink at least 30 gallons a year.

So, what do you think? I am going to make bank right, and move to the Caribbean? Right. Or I am going to just live in my cabin in the woods and eat Ramen noodles?

So, here is the bottom line.

Bottled water is one of the biggest deceptions of the century. But, we are all human and we are all susceptible to clever advertising. Soda companies started getting criticism back in the 1990s for pushing fattening, sugary drinks on us. So, they changed their tactics. Soft drink companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi own most of the bottled water production. They spend billions of dollars in advertising to convince people of the value of their products.

Your friendly neighborhood tap water is just as safe, if not safer, is inexpensive, delivered right to your home and is far more environmentally friendly. Bottled water companies have used predatory marketing practices and extensive lobbying efforts to sell the American public the notion that their water is safer than tap water. And by the way, the price tag for that notion is about $16 billion per year.

Just imagine if half of the money on a yearly basis was put into educating the general public on the value of sustainable practices?

And the simple fact is that the federal government places more rigorous monitoring practices on tap water than it does on bottled water.

But you are being sold a bottle of deception. With a little planning, you can fill a reusable bottle with tap water, save yourself a considerable amount of money and take yet another step toward sustainability. After all, sustainability is about making better choices.

So the summarize things here folks:

-As far as I can tell, bottled water was first sold in the United States back in the 1760s. People believed that bathing and drinking natural spring water was healthy and it would cure certain aliments. So a spa in the Boston area started bottling the water and selling it to clients so they could consume it at home.

-Plastic bottles were invented I believe in the 1960s. PET came on the scene in the 1970s and these bottles would hold carbonated drinks. This was when plastic bottles began to replace glass because they were light weight and resistant to damage.

-Bottled water began to take off in the late 1970s after Perrier spent millions on a marketing campaign.

-By the 1990s soft drink companies are getting flack for pushing fattening sugary soft drinks on us. You know as if we are being forced to drink them. Anyway, now the soft drink companies own most of the bottled water production. And as of 2016 sales of bottle water overtook the sales of soft drinks.

-Now, by the end of 2021, the sales of bottled water is expected to reach $350 billion.

-Enough plastic bottles go in the trash on a regular basis to reach more than half way to the sun, which is 91.774 million miles by the way.

But, back to my business proposition right. I am going to sell you a bottle of deception and you are going to pay a lot of money for it. And you are going to drink 30 gallons a year despite the fact that it could contain arsenic, micro plastics, mold, E coli, and carcinogens.

By the end of 2020 the world population was 7.8 billion people. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to any sort of improved water supply. That is about 2.6 billion people. The value of the bottled water market in the United States is about $16 billion. So, do the math. Americans are spending $6.15 billion annually for every person in the world that does not have access to an improved water supply.

Think about that. It is staggering. $6.15 billion per person.

You know, at the risk of dealing into politics here, and maybe hurting someone’s feelings, our government spends an enormous amount of time policing the entire planet when instead maybe we should spend some of our time and money helping the rest of the planet. But instead, we are sold a bottle of deception and we are busy building walls instead of good relationships.

Okay, in closing here, I just want to say that if you are still concerned about consuming your own tap water, if you still think it is unsafe, then use a water filter. Okay, most of you probably don’t know that I have to haul water to my cabin. This is because the shelf road that goes to the cabin is so narrow that no one in their right mind would drive a well drilling rig up that road. Sure, I could improve the road but it is far cheaper and a lot less expensive to do what I do now.

So, I take raw stream water and run it through a gravity filter and produce my own purified water for about 1.3 cents/gallon. But, I do what I do because there is no other reasonable alternative. And by the way, this is what I should have done in Ecuador.

But most of you have an alternative. So you can buy bottled water for $9.47/gallon. Or if you are truly concerned about your tap water, then purchase a filter and pay 1.3 cents per gallon.

Sustainability is about making better choices. So make better choices. Stop contributing to the purchase of a product that is expensive, that is not any safer than tap water, it makes a substantial contribution to global waste and is not sustainable.

So, in the end here, I want to make special mention of two companies. And I also want to mention that this is not an affiliate promotion.

There is a company called Life Straw. You can find them at lifestraw.com. Their filters are the ones that I have used for many years. And they make a substantial contribution to the global community.

The other company is Berkey. I also use Berkey filters in a small gravity fed system for the cabin. You can find these filters by searching for the trade mark called Black Berkey.

Finally, please remember I will have links to all of my research in the transcript associated with this podcast. And once again, if you enjoy my material please subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast, as well as my blog which can be found at offgridlivingnews.com.

This is your host Patrick signing off. Remember, always live sustainably.

American Choose Bottled Water for Safety and Quality. Are They Right?

5 Secret Dangers of Drinking Bottled Water

Is Bottled or Tap Water Better for Your Health?

Why do American Drink Bottled Water Which Results in Wastage of Plastic?

Why Americans are Obsessed with Bottled Water

12 Facts That Show Why Bottled Water is One of the Biggest Scams of the Century

Episode Transcript

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 10

A Bottle of Deception

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is episode #10 which is called A Bottle of Deception.

For those of you that know me, you know very well that I spend a lot of time outdoors. I go hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, scuba diving and I love to travel. Obviously I am not afraid of a good adventure. But, allow me to share with you a story about the worst and most miserable hiking experience in my entire life.

I would first like to ask a simple question. How many of you have traveled internationally? Well, I can only hope that the majority of listeners say, “Well of course I have!!” Well, I decided to take a couple of months off and travel to Ecuador. One of the things that was recommended to do while I was there was to go hiking in the cloud forest. This part of Ecuador is outside of a small community called Mindo, which is in northern Ecuador.

Anyway, Annette and I got on a bus out of Quito and ended up in Mindo a few hours later. We had booked a stay at a lodge about 3 miles outside of the town. There were few taxis in town and none were available at the time of our arrival so we walked. No one at the lodge spoke any English so it was time to break out the Spanish. Anyway, we were in the middle of the jungle, a very quiet and peaceful place.

However, by the next day, we both started feeling quite ill, presumably from drinking some bad water. A lot of the tap water in Ecuador needs to be filtered or you have to purchase bottled water. Anyway, if any of you have ever been in an isolated place and have horrible gastrointestinal problems, you know just how unpleasant it can be. Literally for three days I was either laying in bed or sitting on the toilet with foul liquid stuff coming out of both ends.
Now, keep in mind we were only going to be in Mindo for 5 days. So, by day 4 things were improving substantially and I was at least keeping liquids down. But as you can imagine, I was not physically in good condition. Annette felt better than I did. But, I was in no condition to go hiking but I told Annette I wanted to see the cloud forest. Besides, we had no idea if we would ever return to the area.

So, we hired a taxi to drive us 6 miles out into the jungle and drop us off at the end of the road, which came to a dead end at a trail head. I managed to go on a 6 mile hike through the jungle literally walking around like a zombie, taking photos. If it were not for all the photos I took, I would have barely remembered the hike.

After we got back to the road, we then had to walk the 6 miles back to town. Oh and let’s not forget the 8 foot wide swath of army ants we encountered and had to figure out how to get over those guys. All in all I hike 12 miles that day while walking around like a zombie with my eyes half closed.

Okay, so the point of my story is that we should have stuck to the bottled water. We should have been more careful. And besides, this was not my first trip out of the country.

So obviously there are times when you should buy bottled water or find some other alternative. However, that is not usually the case in first world countries, and certainly not in the United States.

So why it it that we Americans are so obsessed with purchasing bottled water?? How did it become a $12 billion dollar industry.

So, allow me to pose a question to you.

What if I told you I had a new business where I was going to sell something on the internet. Now my new product is going to cost a lot of money but that’s okay because I telling you it’s better than the stuff that most people get for free, or almost free. Not only that, you have to go to the market place to get my product.

But, the free stuff, or almost free stuff is already delivered right into your home. But what you don’t know is that the quality of my product is the same as the stuff that you already get for free. But you don’t know that because I have a fantastic marketing department and a huge advertising budget that clearly states my product is better.

And that folks is how the bottled water industry became a $18.5 billion industry in the United States in 2017. But, we live in this massive consumer culture so we should be accustomed to being sold things that we don’t really need. But as savvy consumers we presumable purchase one product over another because it is better, or higher quality, or even safer. Right???

So, which is better, which is safer, which is healthier bottled water or tap water. Because, in my case in Ecuador, bottled water was a necessity. But in the US, bottled water has gone from a convenience to a primary choice. Over 90% of people who purchase bottled water cite their reason as being “safety” or “quality”.

But is that really the truth. Or are we being deceived. So instead of safe drinking water, are we being sold a bottle of deception.

First of all allow me to debunk some of the myths or misunderstanding that circles around bottled water.

One of the first things I looked into was where bottled water actually comes from. Now I found varying statistics but after viewing several reports, my conclusion is that somewhere between 40% and 65% of bottled water actually comes from municipal sources. That means the bottled water you are drinking is the same as the free stuff or almost free stuff that is delivered directly to your home. AND you are paying about 2000 times more money for it.

The next thing I looked into was whether or not bottled water was actually safer than tap water.

Now, there is no doubt that the major names in the bottled water industry, such as Nestle, Coco Cola, Pepsi Company and certainly Fiji and Perrier truly focused on providing a quality product. However, 70% of the bottled water sold in the US is not even regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Now this is not an issue IF and I say IF the state regulations are stiffer than the Feds.

Now I did find a study that was done in 1999 by the Natural Resources Defense Council that took 3 samples from 100 different brands of bottled water. What was shown was that 1/3 of the water contained chemical or bacterial contaminants above acceptable state and industry standards.

Now I know that nothing is perfect folks but this is similar to the government saying that certain levels of pesticides in our food sources is considered safe. Now does that make any sense to you???? Well, maybe that is why I have a big greenhouse.

Are you beginning to see where I am going with this. Are your really being sold a safe product or are you being sold a bottle of deception.

So let’s talk for a moment about contaminants found in bottled water.

Allow me to pose a question. Would you knowingly and willingly consume arsenic? I hope you said NO!!

Yet arsenic is commonly been found as a contaminate in bottled water.

Another contaminant is plastic particles.

A 2018 study that analyzed 259 bottled waters from around the world found that 93 percent of them contained “microplastic” particles. Of the 11 popular brands that were tested in this study, the average plastic particle count was 325 per liter. And the worst offender was Nestle Pure Life which contained 10,000 microplastic particles per liter.

Additionally, animal models and other research suggests that micro plastics can disrupt your endocrine system, promote inflammation and over time can accumulate in organs such as the liver, kidneys, and intestines. And it is well known that many diseases and even cancer is the result of chronic inflammation.

Now, what about E Coli. Actually you may say that this is nothing new. And unfortunately you would be right that hearing reports os various food products contaminated with E coli is nothing new. But in 2015, fourteen bottled water brands were recalled after an E coli contamination.

But, bottle water may also be contaminated with mold. In 2017 the FDA released an alarming report about one particular brand of bottled water that contained significant levels of mold. Due to consumer complaints, the Kroger supermarket chain tested the water themselves and found the complaints to be correct.

But what about other chemicals and potential carcinogens.

There was a 2018 study conducted by Water Research that found that certain substances that are added to plastics that can be associated with increased risk of cancer, are often present in bottled water. It is also interesting to note that many trihalomethane compounds, such as chloroform and bromoform, are considered cancer causing agents. In a 2008 study performed by the Environmental Working Group found various trihalomethane compounds in 4 brands of bottled water at levels 2 to 3 times that of the industry standard.

So at this point, let’s get back to the concept that 90% of people the drink bottled water do so because their perception is that it is safer. But when you think about arsenic, plastic particles, mold, E coli and carcinogens is it really safer?

Or are you being sold a bottle of deception?

Now please don’t get me wrong, there are times in the United States that drinking the local tap water is not safe. This may due to environmental contamination due to industry, agriculture or maybe even old, out dated plumbing.

But, by far and away the biggest percentage of tap water in the United States is safe. So, how did we get convinced that is was not safe.

Well, think of it this way. Remember earlier in the podcast I told you about my new business of selling you a product that was presumably better than what you got for free but you had no idea that is was of equal of even lower quality than the product you got for free or almost free, because I had a enormous advertising budget to convince you of such non-sense.

So, here’s the thing. The combined advertising budget of Pepsi, Coca Cola and the Nestle company sits around $14 billion a year.

Now do you think your local municipality has that kind of money in their budget or do you think they don’t even have an advertising budget to convince you that their drinking water is safe.

What is comes down to is that we are being sold a bottle of deception. And the average American consumes about 30 gallons of bottled water a year. Wow!

But what about the overall cost?

Tap water in the US costs about 0.005 cents per gallon. The same amount of water consumed by combining multiple single serving bottles costs about $9.47.

See, now I told you that my new product was a lot more expensive right? But it is better, right?

But many people think bottled water taste better. Yet in blind studies people were unable to discern the difference.

But, let’s just take a look at this from the perspective of sustainability.

Where do you think the municipal water comes from? Well, it come from rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, etc. That water is then processed at a treatment plant and then piped into your homes and businesses. According to the Center for Disease Control, the CDC, the United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world.

But what about the overall environmental impact? Water is collected, processed at the treatment plant, is pumped to your house, you drink it, then wash the glass either by hand or in a dishwasher. All of this has an environmental impact. However, the water is never placed or shipped in a disposable plastic container which ends up in a landfill.

It is estimated that in 2020 Americans used about 50 billion plastic bottles. At a rate of only 9% recycling, which is declining by the way, that means that about 45 billion plastic bottles are wasted every year.

Since the introduction of PET in plastics in the 1970’s the use of plastic bottles has skyrocketed. But the amount of waste is appalling.

Okay, I have two arbitrary questions.

What is the distance from Earth to the Sun?

Well it is 91.774 million miles.

Second question. What is the circumference of the Earth?

That is 24,901 miles.

Now what is my point here?

In 2016 more than 480 billion plastic drinking bottles were sold around the world. That is enough to extend more that halfway to the sun if placed end to end. In the United States alone we drink enough bottle water in one week to orbit the planet twice.

By the end of 2021, the world market for bottled water is expected to reach. $300 billion. Now imagine if only half of that money was redirected into sustainable projects instead of creating an enormous amount of waste.

So, back to my business idea that I talked about earlier.

I am going to sell you a product that is going to cost you a lot of money. But, I am going to convince you that it is better than the same product that is delivered for free, or almost free, right to your home. Instead of paying one half of one cent per gallon you are going to pay $9.47 per gallon.

The product is called A Bottle of Deception. And on the back will be a warning label that says “May contain arsenic, micro plastics, mold, E coli, and several carcinogens” However, levels of these materials are within acceptable industry standards. And by the way, please drink at least 30 gallons a year.

So, what do you think? I am going to make bank right, and move to the Caribbean? Right. Or I am going to just live in my cabin in the woods and eat Ramen noodles?

So, here is the bottom line.

Bottled water is one of the biggest deceptions of the century. But, we are all human and we are all susceptible to clever advertising. Soda companies started getting criticism back in the 1990s for pushing fattening, sugary drinks on us. So, they changed their tactics. Soft drink companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi own most of the bottled water production. They spend billions of dollars in advertising to convince people of the value of their products.

Your friendly neighborhood tap water is just as safe, if not safer, is inexpensive, delivered right to your home and is far more environmentally friendly. Bottled water companies have used predatory marketing practices and extensive lobbying efforts to sell the American public the notion that their water is safer than tap water. And by the way, the price tag for that notion is about $16 billion per year.

Just imagine if half of the money on a yearly basis was put into educating the general public on the value of sustainable practices?

And the simple fact is that the federal government places more rigorous monitoring practices on tap water than it does on bottled water.

But you are being sold a bottle of deception. With a little planning, you can fill a reusable bottle with tap water, save yourself a considerable amount of money and take yet another step toward sustainability. After all, sustainability is about making better choices.

So the summarize things here folks:

-As far as I can tell, bottled water was first sold in the United States back in the 1760s. People believed that bathing and drinking natural spring water was healthy and it would cure certain aliments. So a spa in the Boston area started bottling the water and selling it to clients so they could consume it at home.

-Plastic bottles were invented I believe in the 1960s. PET came on the scene in the 1970s and these bottles would hold carbonated drinks. This was when plastic bottles began to replace glass because they were light weight and resistant to damage.

-Bottled water began to take off in the late 1970s after Perrier spent millions on a marketing campaign.

-By the 1990s soft drink companies are getting flack for pushing fattening sugary soft drinks on us. You know as if we are being forced to drink them. Anyway, now the soft drink companies own most of the bottled water production. And as of 2016 sales of bottle water overtook the sales of soft drinks.

-Now, by the end of 2021, the sales of bottled water is expected to reach $350 billion.

-Enough plastic bottles go in the trash on a regular basis to reach more than half way to the sun, which is 91.774 million miles by the way.

But, back to my business proposition right. I am going to sell you a bottle of deception and you are going to pay a lot of money for it. And you are going to drink 30 gallons a year despite the fact that it could contain arsenic, micro plastics, mold, E coli, and carcinogens.

By the end of 2020 the world population was 7.8 billion people. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 3 people globally do not have access to any sort of improved water supply. That is about 2.6 billion people. The value of the bottled water market in the United States is about $16 billion. So, do the math. Americans are spending $6.15 billion annually for every person in the world that does not have access to an improved water supply.

Think about that. It is staggering. $6.15 billion per person.

You know, at the risk of dealing into politics here, and maybe hurting someone’s feelings, our government spends an enormous amount of time policing the entire planet when instead maybe we should spend some of our time and money helping the rest of the planet. But instead, we are sold a bottle of deception and we are busy building walls instead of good relationships.

Okay, in closing here, I just want to say that if you are still concerned about consuming your own tap water, if you still think it is unsafe, then use a water filter. Okay, most of you probably don’t know that I have to haul water to my cabin. This is because the shelf road that goes to the cabin is so narrow that no one in their right mind would drive a well drilling rig up that road. Sure, I could improve the road but it is far cheaper and a lot less expensive to do what I do now.

So, I take raw stream water and run it through a gravity filter and produce my own purified water for about 1.3 cents/gallon. But, I do what I do because there is no other reasonable alternative. And by the way, this is what I should have done in Ecuador.

But most of you have an alternative. So you can buy bottled water for $9.47/gallon. Or if you are truly concerned about your tap water, then purchase a filter and pay 1.3 cents per gallon.

Sustainability is about making better choices. So make better choices. Stop contributing to the purchase of a product that is expensive, that is not any safer than tap water, it makes a substantial contribution to global waste and is not sustainable.

So, in the end here, I want to make special mention of two companies. And I also want to mention that this is not an affiliate promotion.

There is a company called Life Straw. You can find them at lifestraw.com. Their filters are the ones that I have used for many years. And they make a substantial contribution to the global community.

The other company is Berkey. I also use Berkey filters in a small gravity fed system for the cabin. You can find these filters by searching for the trade mark called Black Berkey.

Finally, please remember I will have links to all of my research in the transcript associated with this podcast. And once again, if you enjoy my material please subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast, as well as my blog which can be found at offgridlivingnews.com.

This is your host Patrick signing off. Remember, always live sustainably.

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