bottled water

I came across an article about bottled water entitled Bad to the Last Drop, in yesterday's New York Times. It argues that people shouldn't drink bottled water because the taste and quality are no better than tap water, and using disposable bottles pollutes the environment.

I think the author misses the point. I buy boxes of bottled water on a regular basis, and keep them in my car. I don't think that the bottled water is any better than tap water, but it's certainly more convenient. When I'm at basketball practice, or am out playing tennis, it's much easier and faster to grab a prefilled bottle (or two, or three) from my trunk than to find a water fountain. I suppose I could fill some bottles at home, but that requires that I think about water every time I'm about to leave the house, and that I take the extra few minutes to wash, fill, and pack the bottles that I need.

If I could take the money that I spend on bottled water and use it to pay someone who would make sure that I had ten full bottles of tap water on hand at all times, I would. He/she would be welcome to use reusable bottles. Unfortunately, I think that would cost significantly more than the bottled water.