I have been reading over several local news articles concerning the recent stories on bottled water and the labeling process that is now in place.  Companies must now note on the label where the bottled water source comes from.  Many brand waters, such as Aquafina, simply are filtered tap water; a resource everyone has right in there own homes. 

Many of us buy bottled water for various reasons; we think it is cleaner, healthier, or for just plain convenient.  But do we think about the costs or the environmental factor of the many plastic bottles that are not recycled?  By bottling our own filtered tap water, we can help reduce costs on our family budget, as well as help reduce plastics in our landfills.

I suggest purchasing a basic, simple water bottle or jug.  You will see many plastic reusable bottles at your local retailers.  Please be careful when choosing plastic as there are some plastics we should steer clear of.  Here are some tips when buying plastic.  I use a stainless steel water jug.  Yes, it was a little more in price, but well worth it.  My water stays cooler longer and definitely lives up to the wear.

Next, purchase a filter to use with your tap.  Filtration can range from a simple pitcher with a filter, a faucet filter, or an under-sink filtration system.  All are very good and will perform the same tasks, but it depends on what you want for your family.  I use a simple Brita faucet filter.  Attached to my faucet, a simple turn allows me to move from normal faucet function for dishes, etc. to using the filter for drinking water.

Which ever filter you decide to purchase, make sure your filter gives you notification of when it is time to replace it.  This will help you stay on top of clean drinking water for your family. 

Quick thought: 

U.S. residents drink on average 26.1 gallons of bottled water per person per year.  That is approximately 3,341 ounces of bottled water.  We typically buy a 16.9 ounce bottle.  So, 26.1 gallons per person per year is equivalent to 197.7 plastic bottles per person.  Regardless of whether you recycle there is still someone that is not.  That is a lot of plastic filling up our landfills.  This doesn’t include the added costs or purchasing bottled water weekly.  Last year, U.S. residents spent 2.6 billion dollars on bottled water.