30 Things in 30 Days - #4 - No More Bottled Water

This week we purchased an under the sink water filter so we can drink our tap water rather than buying bottled water or using a water cooler. Bottled water produces so much waste! And we had our water cooler for 5 years and while it was great that we could refill the 5 gallon plastic bottles, I am not sure about the toxicity of those bottles, not to mention I think I only ever cleaned the sucker TWICE in 5 years! Yes, that is gross, but I have to tell you that putting bleach solution through it and then tasting it for 1-2 giant bottles afterward put me off cleaning it. Then, I saw that Health Canada tested water coolers and says you should put that solution through EVERY time you replace a bottle, which is probably overboard, but is not even close to what I was doing. It all gaves me the hebbee geebees. Plus we live in beautiful Banff, in the Canadian Rockies, and our local water, aside from the mild chlorine taste, is awesome water. We installed a filter to get rid of the taste, and presto, I feel much better about the water I drink. I drink A LOT of water and would have to say that if I ever get cancer I will blame it on the plastic commercial water bottles and Nalgene bottles I toted around for years. Sheesh. When did drinking water get so complicated...

It is best to use aluminum water bottles for resuable bottles. I use Klean Kanteen but Sigg is another good brand.

Here is an article on recent trends in bottled water consumption. And here is a great list of answers to common questions about bottled water, such as can bottled water be manufactured from tap water?

I have heard that many municipalities are no longer using water coolers because they stand behind their local water and want employees to drink it. I can't vouch for all the towns but many do have good water systems and for those that do, good choice!

If you live in a rental and can't install a filter system you could consider a pitcher system like Brita.