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When I was in grade 7, a company dumping toxic waste down a storm sewer contaminated a local pond in the High Park area. It resulted in a six-inch layer of dead fish along the top surface of the brown muddy water. My science class sold glass bottles of distilled water to raise funds to promote awareness of the preciousness of our water supply. Public attitude was that fresh water was an abundant inexhaustible commodity. People laughed and jeered at paying 25 cents for water. The campaign didn't go well. Yet a quarter of century later, bottled water is selling at a feverish pace, and we now consider it a valuable resource. On the one hand, it is refreshing to see that drinking pure water is regaining popularity, but yet I wonder what forces drive this resurrection. I admit that it may be a matter of convenience and taste over price. That handy little bottle goes everywhere, and seems cleaner than drinking from a fountain.
Tap water from large municipal supplies is just as safe or safer than bottled water. It must meet strict testing and retesting standards and has the benefit of fluoridation. No harmful bacteria can be present. Bottled water must meet some of the same criteria. It is allowed to contain non-pathogenic bacteria in small amounts. Bottled water is not sterile and should not be used as such. Once opened, it should be refrigerated between uses. All bottled water is not the same and it is generally no safer than tap water. Ontario has fairly good regulations, but travel south and you can never be sure what you are getting or where it comes from. So beware.
Canada regulates the labeling to some degree. Water labeled as "spring" or "mineral" simply means that it did not come from a municipal source but originated from some other underground source. It is more likely to be a drilled-well in a field than a sprouting natural spring. Without this designation, the water probably originated from a tap somewhere and underwent treatment. Distilled water is any water that was boiled to evaporation and then re-condensed into liquid again. It removes impurities and produces a bland taste. Other common practices include ozonation and charcoal filtration. Canadian labels have to state how the water was treated, and state the mineral content. The profit margins are quite lucrative, and the demand is so great that ground water tables are being depleted. This prompted the provincial government to place a temporary ban on new water-draw licenses last December.
The Walkerton Incident instilled a real fear of tap water in many people. My cottage water comes from a drilled well 200 feet deep into the Canadian Shield. The slight mineral content and year round cold temperature imparts a wonderful taste. We test it regularly to ensure that it is free of bacteria, yet visitors continue to amuse us by bringing bottled water from unknown sources rather than drink water out of "the tap". No amount of reassurance, beer or psychotherapy can convince them to drink tap water, yet mix it with juice or scotch and it seems fine. Fortunately this practice does assure me of an endless supply of bottles, which I readily fill with my own water for sport use. Re-use of plastic bottles is another contentious issue. On one hand, it benefits the industry to have a no-reuse policy. On the other hand, I feel that if properly rinsed, there is little problem in re-using the same bottle a few times. Try to use the water within a day or two of refilling. There are unconfirmed rumors of unknown origin that the plastic may leech toxins after some time. For this reason I would advocate rotating bottles every month, or better yet switch to non-plastic. My advice for those truly interested in natural water supplies is to find a reliable source. Investigate where the water comes from and how it is treated. Tap water is far cheaper than bottled. Taste can be altered with an economical carbon filter system. So get up, walk to the tap and have a cold one on me!
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