In October, I’ll be giving a talk at DtaS titled: Bottled vs Tap: How do we choose? It’ll be an in-depth discussion on the choices behind our water consumption (health, environment, safety, convenience, etc.). I’ve been giving the talk for a while, should be a fun translation to the science cafe format.

This past week on Science Friday, Elizabeth Royte discussed her new book
Bottlemania. The book details the rise of the bottle water industry and the subsequent decline in our public water infrastructure. In 1987, Americans drank about 5 gallons of bottled water per year, now that number has rocketed to 28 gallons. At the same time, consumption of soda and other water-like beverages has increased tenfold.

It’s an interesting dilemma…bottled water offers the lure of safety, health, convenience, and even some style (I’ve been known to buy a bottle of Dasani, owned by Coca-Cola, just because of the pleasing blue tint). Yet, how much safer is it? Is it healthier than tap? What about the environmental impact? Convenience issues can be overcome too, no?

Elizabeth tackles these questions in the most interesting part of the book, the story of Freyburg, Maine. It is home to one of the bottling plants for Poland Spring, the largest bottled water supplier in the U.S.. A town that revolted against bottled water production as it threatens local supplies of freshwater. Seeing pictures of local communities fight against bottled water, yet many see it as salvation (20-30 million in this country don’t have access to consistently safe water without treatment).

The old axiom sticks…you don’t buy water, you just rent it. It’s just a matter of how much you pay.