In your opinion

[DolfanBob]

I thought of this last Saturday and was wondering if I could get your input on this subject.
I had ran out of my bottled water and instead of going to the grocery store a day early, I resolved myself to drinking tap water all day. To be truthful I really could not tell that much difference.
What do you think is the Worlds best pure water source ?
ie, Spring, bottled, rain, tap, distilled etc.etc.
One question though. If rain is your choice. Wouldnt man made air pollution have something to do with contaminating it ?
Also. When testing water purity. Why do we use chemicals ?
Just some pondering thoughts.

[Conan71]

Bottled water is a rip-off as far as I'm concerned and contributes to pollution.  I pay $2.37 per 1000 gallons of water from the city of Tulsa or $.00237 per gallon.  My cost per 20 oz is $.00037.  20 oz is a popular size for bottled water.  Generally that runs $1.49 per bottle in convenience stores.

Bottled water has it's place as a matter of convenience as far as sporting events, on the boat, a long road trip, or out camping where a fresh supply of running water may not be available.  I will re-use water bottles multiple times until they become too ratty to use anymore. 

I don't have a problem with home filtration, either a tap filter or some sort of container in the fridge.  Most people claim it makes the water taste fresher, I honestly can't tell that much difference, but there was a Pur tap filter already installed at my kitchen sink when I moved in so I do use it for drinking water.  Where I draw the line is the companies who charge thousands for softening systems and home RO systems.  With Tulsa city water, it's marginally hard, you don't need a softener.  The calcium and magnesium which compose the "hardness" are useful minerals your body needs.  The biggest liability from hard water is scale formation in your water heater.  Every 3-6 months, hook up a hose to the bottom drain valve and "blow down" the tank to get rid of loose scale in the bottom of the tank.

I worked for a specialty chemical company for seven years as a regional manager.  We provided industrial water treatment chemicals to prevent biological growth, scale formation, and corrosion inhibitors for large water-based cooling and heating equipment as well as waste water polymers.  There's a myth that there is something wrong with Tulsa tap water along with many other municipalities.  It's been perpetrated mainly by ignorance and companies selling home water purification systems.  Tulsa's tap water is plenty safe for every day consumption.

Oh and FYI- the reason chemicals are needed for water analysis is because it takes a series of chemical reactions with the dissolved solids in water (calcium, magnesium, chlorides, alkaline minerals, etc) to be able to quantify the amount of each constituent.  Yet another FYI as it relates to the discussion on the blown up Jeebus statue: water by itself is a poor conductor of electricity.  Rain water has little to no mineral content but does contain dissolved gasses from the atmosphere.  Ground water picks up dissolved solids which are mineral salts and that increases the conductance of water.

The more you know...

[RecycleMichael]

The most abundant resource on the planet is water. We then package it in a product made from a non-renewable resource (oil). The amount of oil needed to make and transport the bottle is four ounces of oil per sixteen ounce bottle of water.

Americans will throw away 58 million bottles of water today. We estimate that the average Oklahoman will purchase 240 bottles of water this year of which only 22 will be recycled.

The City of Tulsa has safe water and the EPA report can be found here...
http://www.cityoftulsa.org/media/90852/2010%20water%20quality%20report.pdf  Tulsa compares very well within the region.

Drinking water is very regulated. Bottled water is not and is often filled with bacteria.

I admit I have a filter on the fridge ice maker and on the tap on the kitchen sink. I feel very safe.

[Gaspar]

Bottled water is marketing brilliance. 

I have a client that owns a bottled water company.  They are only a couple of years old and have gone from some borrowed warehouse space and $10K in debt to a company that cleared almost $2 million last year.

I am hopeful that people will stop breathing all of this dirty air and purchase some of my new bottled air.  It's from a field of flowers in France!

[Conan71]

The most abundant resource on the planet is water. We then package it in a product made from a non-renewable resource (oil). The amount of oil needed to make and transport the bottle is four ounces of oil per sixteen ounce bottle of water.

Americans will throw away 58 million bottles of water today. We estimate that the average Oklahoman will purchase 240 bottles of water this year of which only 22 will be recycled.

The City of Tulsa has safe water and the EPA report can be found here...
http://www.cityoftulsa.org/media/90852/2010%20water%20quality%20report.pdf  Tulsa compares very well within the region.

Drinking water is very regulated. Bottled water is not and is often filled with bacteria.

I admit I have a filter on the fridge ice maker and on the tap on the kitchen sink. I feel very safe.

What's the energy usage in recycling a bottle of water or ton of water bottles?  Just curious.

[kylieosu]

I drink tap water and filter it through a Brita pitcher. Tastes just fine to me.

[custosnox]

Evian spelled backwards is naive, that in itself should tell ya something.  As RM said, tap water tends to be safer then bottled water.  Think of the multiple reports some time back of all of the bottled water shipments that had mold growing in them.  The chemicals in the tap water are what inhibits the growth of these organisims.  

I personally have empty water bottles that I refill at the fridge.  I primarily use the fridge despenser because it comes out nice and cold, but it has a filter on it so that is a bonus.  

It has also been mentioned on the forums before that Tulsa consistantly ranks high on the list for best tasting water.

As far as the purist water, unless you quadruple filter it, then triple distil it your still going to have something other then water in it.  Even with that, I'm sure it still wouldn't be pure.  As you said, rain would still have anything in it that would be in the atmosphere (manmade and natural), and spring water has all kinds of stuff in it.  If you are ever traveling through Arkansas, stop in Hot Springs and get you some of the spring water there (completely free, just go to a spiget and fill up).  Stuff actually tastes great, but there are so many minerals in it that you can easily see them just looking at it.  Depending on what spigot you fill up from, you may end up with a small amount of sediment at the bottom of your container.  So that is something esle to throw into your thought process, pure isn't Necessarily better.

[BKDotCom]

And there's the whole Fiji Water thing
Mother Jones

Wikipedia:
FIJI Water's production plant runs on diesel fuel, 24 hours a day. The high-grade plastic used to make the bottles is transported from China to Fiji, and then (full of water) to the United States and other countries.

[Conan71]

Actually, you only need to distill water once to make it pure.  Water becomes steam, when it enters the steam phase, dissolved solids remain behind with the bulk water still being heated.  If you do this in a closed system, as the steam condenses back to water when it cools, it will pick up a minimum of dissolved gasses from the atmosphere as well.  Do it in a vacuum and theoretically you will have no dissolved gas and no dissolved solids.

This is well illustrated using a pan or beaker.  Boil off all the water in it and you will notice a chalky residue.  Do it multiple times and it takes on an obvious crystaline structure.

[custosnox]

Actually, you only need to distill water once to make it pure.  Water becomes steam, when it enters the steam phase, dissolved solids remain behind with the bulk water still being heated.  If you do this in a closed system, as the steam condenses back to water when it cools, it will pick up a minimum of dissolved gasses from the atmosphere as well.  Do it in a vacuum and theoretically you will have no dissolved gas and no dissolved solids.

This is well illustrated using a pan or beaker.  Boil off all the water in it and you will notice a chalky residue.  Do it multiple times and it takes on an obvious crystaline structure.

Okay, how about distilled with steril equipment in a complete vacuum, and collected in a steril container?  And technically, wouldn't you still pick up other "contaminants " from other gases being released from the original water source and re-entering it as it condensed?  For that matter, how would the vapors rise from the boiled water in order to enter into a condenser in a vacuum, since gas only rises because there are heaver gases in the atmosphere for to give it boyuancy?  Sorry, went into extreme critical mode there.

[Gaspar]

Actually, you only need to distill water once to make it pure.  Water becomes steam, when it enters the steam phase, dissolved solids remain behind with the bulk water still being heated.  If you do this in a closed system, as the steam condenses back to water when it cools, it will pick up a minimum of dissolved gasses from the atmosphere as well.  Do it in a vacuum and theoretically you will have no dissolved gas and no dissolved solids.

This is well illustrated using a pan or beaker.  Boil off all the water in it and you will notice a chalky residue.  Do it multiple times and it takes on an obvious crystaline structure.

I've always heard that you shouldn't drink distilled water or Reverse Osmosis water.  Water becomes a very good solvent when the minerals are removed.  It will pick up (dissolve) whatever it can at this point.  Metals, minerals, plastics, even the calcium in your teeth are candidates to bond with the water.  Water with the natural calcium, gypsum and other minerals won't pick up crap from the bottles, or try to dissolve compounds (mostly calcium) in your body.

[Conan71]

Okay, how about distilled with steril equipment in a complete vacuum, and collected in a steril container?  And technically, wouldn't you still pick up other "contaminants " from other gases being released from the original water source and re-entering it as it condensed?  For that matter, how would the vapors rise from the boiled water in order to enter into a condenser in a vacuum, since gas only rises because there are heaver gases in the atmosphere for to give it boyuancy?  Sorry, went into extreme critical mode there.

About the only condensable will be carbon dioxide released from carbonate minerals.  It condenses as carbonic acid, which in a small scale "on the bench" would be somewhat insignificant.  In a boiler system making, say, 10,000 pounds of steam per hour (1200 gallons per hour evaporation) and re-using 80% of steam returned as condensate, it becomes a serious problem due to additional mineral accumulation in the boiler.  Condensate lines are made of black pipe in most all systems like that and the low pH condition caused by carbonic acid becomes a problem.

And Gaspar, you are correct.  Water is the ultimate universal solvent, but it's got a finite capacity for dissolving solids.  There are only so many molecules for other molecules to attach to.  Take a glass of tea and pour in some sugar, stir it and it will dissolve.  Keep doing this and eventually you will wind up with a pile of sugar in the bottom which will not dissolve as you've finally exceeded it's capacity for solubility.  Water also loses it's solubility as the temperature increases.

[custosnox]

I've always heard that you shouldn't drink distilled water or Reverse Osmosis water.  Water becomes a very good solvent when the minerals are removed.  It will pick up (dissolve) whatever it can at this point.  Metals, minerals, plastics, even the calcium in your teeth are candidates to bond with the water.  Water with the natural calcium, gypsum and other minerals won't pick up crap from the bottles, or try to dissolve compounds (mostly calcium) in your body.

I've always heard not to drink distilled water as well, but never knew why.  That makes more sense now.

[Conan71]

Might also explain why DI and RO water are used in dialysis systems though I'm not sure of exactly how these systems work and what role the water plays in it.

[Gaspar]

Might also explain why DI and RO water are used in dialysis systems though I'm not sure of exactly how these systems work and what role the water plays in it.

That's easy, one of the things filtered from the blood through dialysis is calcium glutamate. It's nasty little amino acid and the source of Kidney stones in people with working kidneys.  It and other calcium products clog up dialysis machines just like they do real kidneys.

I guess that would be a plus of drinking RO water.  You decrease your chances of kidney stones, but your teeth and bones would suffer.