World Tap Water Week

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

You didn't know that it existed, did you? Well, it didn't until The Green Thing invented it in 2010 and, as far as I am concerned, this is a good idea.

The Green Thing invented this new tradition called World Tap Water Week because, as they said, it's high time the world celebrated humble, tasty tap for the everyday hero that it is.

Of course every hero needs a villain to battle, and in the case of Tap it’s the arch criminal Mineral. Mineral water is somewhat like the emperor’s new clothe, being made out to be so tremendously good for us and all that jazz. The truth is that it is not and that mineral water does untold environmental damage, tastes exactly like tap water and costs 1000 times as much. Yet people across the world fall for the mineral water and bottled water myth and think they’re buying something crucial to their health or self-esteem when they’re not. Someone’s gotta tell ‘em the emperor’s got nothing on! And someone also tell them that mineral has got nothing on tap either. In many cases bottled water actually is nothing but tap, filtered if we are lucky, and put into a plastic bottle. You must be joking...

There is nothing special about mineral water or bottled water. It is made in the same way by using two hydrogen atoms, mixed with one of oxygen, and that's it. Same as tap water. Thus they taste the same and do the same stuff, after all it is... well, pardon the pun, water. So why would you pay for water in plastic bottles that, in some cases, has been transported more than half-way around the world, and often lots of money, when you can, basically, get tap water for free.

From now on, according to Green Thing, World Tap Water Week happens every year in the third week of August. Ladies and gentlemen. It’s time. Time for tap!

We should simply create this as a tradition from now on and designate, as indicated, the third week of August as World Tap Water Week and why not?

Personally, I do not do bottled water unless there is absolutely no other option, and whenever I can it is tap water, at times filtered, at other times not, carried in a reusable bottle, including repurposed glass Snapple lemonade ones. I also refuse to pay for bottles if I can upcycle my own.

So, let's remember for next year: The 3rd ween in August is what? It's World Tap Water Week...

© 2010