Pure water needn't to cost the Earth

It certainly needn't if you use tap

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

“Pure water needn't cost the earth” is the  catchphrase of “Aquapax” by Just Drinking Water Ltd., who also claim that the water is “planet conscious natural mineral water”. Aquapax was an exhibitor at UK Aware 2011 and is a member of “Ethical Junction” but that also doe not make it any better or greener.

The water is packaged, instead of the usual plastic bottle, in a Tetrapak, and the company states that the packaging is made to >70% from sustainable and renewable trees. Could someone tell me what the remaining 25% plus are made of?

And finally, in the promotional literature, the company claims that Aquapax is better than a bottle.

I am sorry, you still aren't getting the point, folks. It is NOT about the bottle, whether plastic, glass or paper. What it is about is the water. There is no ethical “bottled” water whether it is in glass bottles, plastic bottles or cardboard containers.

The issue, to reiterate once more, if the fact that we are extracting water from the environment unnecessarily in order to fill the artificially created demand for “mineral” water, whether this may be in glass or plastic bottle or in other kind of container.

This unnecessary extraction of water puts serious pressure on the water resources of the country, and other countries, for some of our “bottled” water tends to be imported as well, often from places far away, such as was Fiji water. I say “was”, as I believe the company that used to produce the water is now defunct.

Those of us whose municipal water supplies are fine have no excuse to fall for the “bottled” water scam by the companies producing and therefore promoting the use of that water and who claim that it is better for us than tap water.

That is not just a myth but an outright lie. Tap water, in fact, underlies much stricter hygiene inspections and rules than does “mineral” and other “bottled” water. Mineral (bottled) water gets tested about between once a week to once every quarter at source for purity; tap water gets tested about eight times daily, in the case of Thames Water.

And, if you are concerned about the taste and/or the possibilities of additives, such as sodium fluoride, then get a filter, such as a Britta or, better still, a Berky. But do not fall for the bottled mineral water scam.

It is not about the bottle; it is about the water...

© 2011