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Friday March 29, 2024

Bottled or tap water: Pindiites love both

By Ibne Ahmad
January 06, 2022

Several Pindiites hail bottled water as the healthy alternative to tap water. Tap water lovers say some companies sell bottled tap water, which they re-filter and it is generally overpriced.

“There are no regulations they have to meet for bottled water that is stricter. It is a fact that tap water is better because it has a very small dose of added fluoride to combat tooth decay,” says Dabeer Ali.

“Anyone who would pay money for the same product available from a tap would at best be naive or, at worst, truly stupid. I think it is because of publicity,” says Anmol Batool.

“I see people in supermarkets carrying big packs of water. They think they are doing right by their families. Not so. The motivation is good but the facts do not support bottled water as the healthy alternative,” says Zardar Haider.

“They do not know that bottled water companies re-use plastic water bottles. The ingredients of plastics leech into the water as the bottle slowly degrades. This may be accelerated by the use of fruit juices bottles,” adds Zardar.

“All bottled water comes from the tap anyway. I would say that tap water is at least as safe and clean as bottled water. Why do people waste money on tap water in a plastic bottle,” says Zamurrad Ali.

“In many markets, what comes out of bottled water is actually treated tap water. Many people find this distasteful so opt for tap water. At least they know this has come from the heavens,” says Sajjad Raza.

“Tap water is mostly recycled water and goes through a rigid process. Can you imagine what recycled water must be like? Chlorine is added to it. When I drink water from the tap, the taste and smell of chlorine is strong and taste awful,” says Tahir Hussain.

“I am not arguing how safe water is either bottled or tap. The fact is, I prefer Mineral water because it does not have a chlorine taste and is not heavily recycled. I do not drink bottled water all the time but take one to work regularly,” says Zaamin Abbas.

“I love bottled water. When I go on a trip, I keep a personal supply with myself, as it may be long-distance before I can get a drink. Enjoy your bottled water and dump the plastic in the river for the swans,” says Zillay Huma.

“For me personally, bottled water tastes better than tap water. Also when traveling I don’t trust the tap water and would always drink bottled water,” says Sadaf Zahra.

Hasan Ayaz says, “There is no evidence whatsoever that reusing plastic bottles presents any hazard of chemical leaching. Using bottled water stored in a cupboard for a number of years would be a different issue.”