Why Americans must buy bottled water? Don’t you have drinking water in taps?

26 comments

1. Too late, bottled water is profitable. That’s all this country cares about…

2. tap water varies from state to state. some have flouride, some have other contaminants depending on the water source.

   I’ve been to some states with great tap water but in general yeah it’s a crapshoot. Tap isn’t enough, youll want a filtration system in your fridge or a brita filter for home use. But throwing a pack of water bottles into a fridge certainly helps too. I do both.

3. Many parks have drinking fountains where you can also refill your bottle, but I don’t always trust those to be sanitary–with COVID, and with some people letting their dogs put their mouths on them.

4. Tap in the u.s can come from public sources and are mostly clean however it can be chlorenated not deadly but it spooks people or if not it can “taste funny” when it comes to well water there can be iron in the water supply which makes it so you can use it for bathing and washing but not drinking I have that with my well it causes the water to be occasionally yellow for whatever reason

5. Tap varies from good clean water to tastes bad to probably not safe to drink depending on where you live (with most places falling in the tastes bad)

6. Most Americans do drink from taps, it’s rare for the water to be not safe to drink. We buy bottled water because it’s easy to take around with us, as well as being prepared for emergencies

7. We do. Bottled water is mostly a matter of convenience. It’s easy to carry and the container is disposable.

   But I’ll admit that doesn’t explain the success of higher priced brands. They prove the power of good salesmanship.

8. The quality of tap water varies from place to place. Some tap water is great, and some tastes like shit. When it tastes like shit, bottled water is preferable.

9. What makes you think this is just an American thing? Lots of people drink lots of bottled water in many other countries

10. I don’t have a tap in my car

11. Most U.S. tap water is fine, drinkable, safe, but people are terrified of the public sector here. Anything this good draws immediate suspicion and conspiracy theories.

12. There’s no “must”. Some people just find it convenient sometimes.

    This is not uniquely American.

13. Tap water varies WILDLY in quality, and in some places is not safe to drink at all (Flint being the go-to example)

14. So to be clear, Americans on private wells are not on tap water. These are the only individuals that would face a situation where they are required to buy bottled water. The reason is because they arent required to have the infrastructure to clean the water.

    Every other American, for the most part, are not required to buy bottled water. It’s a choice. The water provided by their respective water agency is defaulted to be safe unless told otherwise. There are exceptions like Flint, Michigan but they’re more outliers than anything.

15. We do have drinking water in taps. Are you thinking of Mexico?

16. It’s not an American thing. Lots of places had bad quality tap water for years, so we don’t trust it anymore.

    I got tired of lugging water bottles, so I bought a water pitcher with a built in filter (like a Britta filter, but a local brand)

17. Nope we don’t have drinking water coming from taps here. It’s rivers or bottled water.

18. Our tapwater has lead in it. Many of us own filters, though. There are big parts of the country where most people are in the same position.

19. It’s in the constitution. Every American *must* purchase at least one bottle of water per day and throw the plastic trash in the ocean. /s

    I don’t buy bottled water very often and if I do I drink it and re-use the bottle.

20. I can’t carry a sink around with me

21. Ever heard of Flint, Michigan?

22. Let’s hope OP isn’t from Europe because that’d be hilariously ironic.

    My biggest gripe being that a lot of European restaurants give you a hard time for wanting to just drink tap water. Specially in Central Europe.

23. Everywhere in the US I have ever gone has had drinkable tap water. I buy waterbottles for my car, as a safety backup supply, for road trips, and because they are cheaper than wall-of-water plant protection, do the same job, and are still useful afterwards.

24. Why is this question asked again?

25. I guess I should just install a tap in my car and a really long hose.

26. I have all of Lake Michigan on tap. Its delicious.