2 liters…

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Decades ago, I became involved with a few water treatment companies.  (These firms were actually venturing into water reuse and industrial water needs;  they also asked us to help them with their entire business efforts.)   It was an eye opener when we saw their water supply business.   This was long before it was normal to see those 5 gallon jugs in our offices and home, proffering cold (and hot) drinking water for our needs.

We also worked with a pop manufacturer.   Who determined that they could make a fortune selling the purified water they made (without adding flavoring, coloring, syrup, and whatnot) for the same price as their finished pop bottles.

So, nowadays, it’s common for folks to include bottled water in their daily purchases.  But, how do you decide what to buy?  Or what you need?   More importantly, do you really need it?

Let’s start with some simple facts.   Even if you have perfect drinking water (stop laughing, please!), you need a supply of bottled water.  Because a storm, a water main break, a flood can mean you won’t be able to twist your faucet and get the water you need.   But, you can’t keep it forever- you need to replace that stash every six months.  (How much you need depends upon the size of your family, how often such problems have occurred, how long those problems lasted.  But, even if they never have yet, you should always have at least 2 liters of water per person on hand.  And, if you elect to fill your own bottles- then those bottles have to be cleaned and refilled about once a month.)

You think I’m being alarmist?   Remember Charleston, West Virginia?  It only took one slipshod company to leave the whole area without water for a week.   Or, that algae bloom that left Toledo, Ohio bereft?

So, do you buy Purified?  Spring?  Artesian?  Mineral?

Purified water simply means that it was produced via filtration or distillation to remove impurities- or other things that affect the taste of the water.

Spring and Artesian only define the source (natural flow to the surface or underground recovery under pressure, respectively) of the water- not its quality.  Unless you love the taste of these waters, you can save your money and skip them.

Mineral water has nothing added, comes from a “protected” underground source, and contains 250 mg/L of dissolved solids (1/5 to ½ your calcium needs, 1/8 to ½ your magnesium requirements- and may still be high in sodium); it’s also alkaline (high pH) which may be beneficial to one’s bone health.

I admit it.  I prefer flavored water.   But, I’m cheap.  I carry packets in my car, that I can drop one into a bottle of the cheapest bottled water and enjoy the contents.  Which never provide any sugar.  After all, I gave up pop two decades ago.   But, there is zero benefit to these flavored waters (other than the benefit of the water, itself).  It’s just a quirk of mine.

Alkaline waters are a little different.  The premise is that tap water is often acidic and we acidify our body.  However, if your kidneys are functional- and you eat a balanced (or nearly so) diet, then you are wasting money buying these items.  Unless, you have bone disease issues- and then maybe (and that’s still just a maybe) you can garner a benefit.

So, store some water for emergencies.  Drink your 2 liters a day of water.   And, if you live in New York City or Alexandria (VA), you can stick with tap water.  If you live elsewhere, check out the water quality.  No, not at the pumping station (although many of them barely meet spec)- but what comes out of your tap.   Because the pipes (or concrete conduits) that deliver the water to your home or office affect the delivered quality.   And, it’s the delivered quality that counts.

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