The Bottled Water Dilemma and Smart Water
My husband and I try to be as socially responsible and green as possible. We recycle EVERYTHING. We take our shopping bags with us to the grocery and we are working hard at using refillable polycarbonate water bottles instead of purchasing bottled water.
Our local Tulsa recycling guru, Michael Patton, aka “Recycle Michael” explains that on top of the many obvious reasons not to purchase bottled water (such as not knowing how long or where it is stored), we should be concerned about additional costs that deplete natural resources. So, if you’re buying bottled water from Fuji, we are using fuel to TRANSPORT that water from Fuji - not a socially-responsible thing to do.
We just took a trip to visit my Dad and his wife, so we responsibly loaded our car with reusable water bottles and a gallon of water. However, we left the gallon of water in the car and were unable to drink it on the way home, as the water was frozen.
I drink a LOT of water. So, at our first pit-stop on our return trip, dear husband went into the convenience store to purchase bottled water and he returned with two 1-liter bottles of Glaceau Smart Water. I laughed and thanked him for not purchasing “dumb water” for me.
Turns out this water is vapor distilled water plus electrolytes. I went to their web site for more information (most of the print on the bottle is too small for me to read) and found more scientific information about this water than I could absorb (pun intended). Their slogan is “purity you can taste - hydration you can feel.”
It is a pretty cool looking bottle. And I can read on the bottle where it says, “enjoy the inside, recycle the outside.”
The Bottled Water Dilemma and Smart Water
If you want to try to figure out all the scientific information provided, go for it. I’m returning to my purified tap water, thank you. But, if you’re stuck on the road with frozen water and forced to purchase bottled water, go for the “smart water.” Somebody needs to pay for this really awesome marketing!
And, darned if I can locate on the bottle WHERE this water is manufactured, but I did notice that it has printing on the INSIDE of the bottle. It says, "spring water is for swimming, smart water is for drinking." Hopefully it's made in Canada and not shipped all the way from France! For more information about this product, check out their web site or call 1-877-GLACEAU.
Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa Oklahoma area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Sand Springs and Jenks. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.
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Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area and specializing in downtown Tulsa and midtown Tulsa real estate.
I have to laugh with you about not being able to read the label on the packaging. I personally struggle with that all the time in the stores.
Do they not sell that water in your area? It's pretty tasty, although I hear your concerns about the carbon footprint.
Water is a sore topic for me. I can only drink bottled spring water - and really only do well on Arrowhead, here in L.A. When I travel it is a nightmare for me to find water that doesn't bother me (some ailment I have). I think I need a degree in water science to get it right. This hit home.
Lori, I'm with you, I think that just investing in a water purifier or a fridge with one built in is the way to go. Most research I've done on bottled water leads me back to local purification methods. Although I actually love the taste of Evian and Fiji water, I agree that the eco-impact drawback is the shipping involved. And water labeled as "purified" or "drinking" water is often just local tap water, distilled or run through a purifier. I may as well do that myself at home.
Lori: Great info and I saw your link on twitter. I didn't know about the problem with the clear plastic bottles, very good to know.
We were constantly buying bottled water in my house, and I got tired of the extra expense and got everyone water bottles. when I first moved into my house over 15 years ago I put in an expensive and efficient water filter for drinking water (SEAGUL) I have a friend that is a plumber and asked what he would use in his own house... Just silly to spend money on something that you already have right at your fingertips.
Thanks for the timely alert, here...it's important that we all, as individuals, remember the results of our consumerism.
Wow, who knew so many people would be interested in a blog about bottled water? LOL!
Mary - Those $1 reader glasses from the Dollar Store can only do so much, eh?
Melissa - I don't know if they sell this in Oklahoma. We purchased some in Tennessee and maybe in Arkansas while driving on I-40. I've never seen it before.
Jane - Maybe you SHOULD read all the scientific info on this water. Good luck!
Shanna - we bought a fancy water purifier when we remodeled our kitchen, but forgot to have the granite guys install it. So, our $500 water purifier is stored under the sink until I get around to calling the granite guys. In the meantime, we filter with a $39 Brita. :-)
Jane - more bottled water information than you need in one day probably! :-)
Robert - I'm right there with ya!
Sea to Sky - we don't pay enough attention to the results of our consumerism - we must remind each other!
Anyone that plans on installing a filter system, be sure you get one that works! most that are available via home centers can actually make your water worse as they clog up, the good ones actually clog up as they filter, and you replace them when it takes too long to fill up your glass..
I have had the General Ecology Seagull filter for years, I highly reccomend it... One of my daughters friends constantly tells us how we have the best tasting water...
Thanks for the recommendation, Robert. I'm going to have to see what we purchased (it's been 2 years ago).
Smart Water... now I must try it Lori.
We have been refilling our bottles at Whole Foods, but lately there has been an odor to it. Makes me wonder... Not all filtered water is good quality. The carbon filter was the best filter system we have ever used. It sold with the house and have not replaced it yet. We cannot get Arrowhead here in Tulsa, but it is great bottled water.
Hi Lori ~ The whole bottled water thing blows my mind - particularly where I'm from since our tap water is delicious. Fun post!
Liz
I'm telling ya, ya gotta check out their web site and the bottle - MAJOR marketing bucks spent here! :-)
This was really informative. We do have SmartWater locally. You can almost always see me carrying my own cup. I used to wonder why anyone would buy water, then I became pregnant with my daughter. The Tulsa, OK water made me sick. The smell & taste was unbearable. I love water so much that I was amazed when I was hospitalized for dehydration. I then started on the bottled water. Some I could drink & others were just as bad as tap for me. I'm pregnant again & can only drink certain bottled water. SmartWater being one of them. It's nice to know why it called SmartWater since I never paid attention to the bottle.
Tanisha - how interesting, and congrats on being pregnant again! I had no clue it was sold in Tulsa - I'll have to look for it!!
Sorry to burst you peoples' bubbles but most bottled water is simply just tap water, and they charge you a buck ninety nine for a bottle, f***ing ridiculous if you ask me. There is also fluoride in your tap water, along with plenty of other devious chemicals that the government put in there. The way to go is to get your own water source that's off the grid. I read about some kind of condensation machine that takes the water molecules out of the air around it and collects and filters it bout' 11 times. It costs a pretty penny too, I reckon they go for 1-2 grand. Sorry but I forgot the name, if you people are interested, go ahead and try to find it.
- Willie D