Puntogf Antiques.

Sake Bottle

So What is the Difference Between Bottled Water and Tap Water?

We should ask ourselves what is the difference between bottled water and tap water. As many of us continue to buy and use it I'm sure that in the distant past we must have made a conscious decision to start purchasing bottled water because of one reason or another. Sometimes with the passage of time these reasons get lost and as creatures of habit we carry on doing the same things.

Let's attempt to re-examine just some of these points that triggered us into choosing this way of drinking water and see if they are still valid. Well, I can think of two reasons of the top of my head, the first of which is that bottled water is purer than the tap variety. 

That may be true but for me I think that it's a bit of a gray area, as quality standards for bottled are about the same as tap and some evidence I have uncovered indicates that it's less rigorous and less controlled. Some of the even larger named drinks companies have been known to sell filtered tap water which may of had some minerals added to improve its taste. Quite a neat trick that one and something we fall for as we keep buying it, perhaps oblivious to its true origin.

The second reason and possibly the best we will consider is that bottled water is better for us. When you realize how much we spend buying the stuff, on an annual basis the figure is quite staggering. I had the chance to see what the annual spend in the US was for 2006 and it was almost 11 billion dollars. So, you can imagine that these companies have a  pretty decent advertising budget that is primed to sell us a message and an image that buying bottled water is a wise choice for the sake of our well being and a healthy lifestyle.

Again, on closer examination we can begin to pick holes in that argument. I read a recent consumer survey which pitched bottled water against tap water in a series of blind tastings. Surely the bottled makes would score a resounding and convincing win. How very surprising, as the end results gave tap water the overall winning spot. 

One other recent finding placed a worrying question mark over its purity when it was found that certain, unhealthy plastic compounds began to leech into bottled water that was kept inside the trunk of a car. This was because of the rise in temperature, as such water ought to be kept in a cool, shady place, which you can even see mentioned somewhere on the bottle's label. 

Now that you know this, perhaps the convenience and novelty of bottled water has worn off a little bit.

About the Author

Peter Foremski is Editor of an informative water filter guide and cares passionately about the quality of water that he drinks and uses. He uncovers the best products and where to buy them with the best discounts. So begin your 'thirst' for knowledge here.

Sake Bottle, from Oribe $49.99 Sake Bottle, from Oribe - Giclee Print

Hakusan Penguin Sake Bottle $20 The Hakusan Penguin Sake Bottle is complemented by the Penguin Sake Cup , sold separately. From designer from Yasuki Sakamoto.

Wappa Cedar Sake Bottle $120 Renowned for its resilience, strength and beauty, Akita Cedar is an ideal application for this Wappa Cedar Sake Bottle from designer Shunji Kurimori. And cedar's natural tendency to resist cracking and fading makes this piece an enduring addition and beautiful accent to a range of dinnerware collections.

Hakusan Penguin Sake Cup $10 The Hakusan Penguin Sake Cup is complemented by the Penguin Sake Bottle , sold separately. From designer from Yasuki Sakamoto.

For the Sake of It $10.61 For the Sake of It

Flask, in the Shape of a Japanese Sake Bottle, for the Meissen Factory, C.1725 $34.99 Johann Gregor Herold Flask, in the Shape of a Japanese Sake Bottle, for the Meissen Factory, C.1725 - Giclee Print

Male Baikal Seal Billy Performs a Dip in Hot Spring, Holding a Sake Bottle at an Aquarium in Hakone $24.99 Male Baikal Seal Billy Performs a Dip in Hot Spring, Holding a Sake Bottle at an Aquarium in Hakone - Photographic Print

Sake-Bito (I Love Alcohol) v2.0 $20.99 Here's another wacky kanji t-shirt featuring beautiful characters penned with a traditional writing brush (fude pen). A parody of famous shima-bito (Island Person) designs from Okinawa, this shirt proudly proclaims you as a sake-bito, literally a "person of sake" or someone who loves to drink all forms of alcohol. (Sake, prononced sah-KAY, can refer to normal rice wine as well as all other forms of alcohol.) This black, 100% cotton t-shirt declares you a Sake-Bito on the front chest in white. A traditional sake bottle in red and white adorns the back neck. The right sleeve has a small note that points out the shirt's from J-List.

For Pete's Sake $10.49 For Pete's Sake

For The Sake Of No One $10.49 For The Sake Of No One

For The Children's Sake $11.19 For The Children's Sake

For Argument's Sake $64.17 For Argument's Sake

For Duty's Sake $4.55 For Duty's Sake

For the Sake of the Process $7.53 For the Sake of the Process

For Mike's Sake $9.67 For Mike's Sake

For Love's Sake $12.65 For Love's Sake

For Humanity's Sake $48.53 For Humanity's Sake

For The Sake Of It $14.99 Black & Tan (Netherlands):11

Sake $18.63 Saké, the Japanese alcoholic beverage derived from rice, is quickly becoming one of the "coolest" international drinks after almost 2,000 years of popularity in Japan. The current nationwide rise of saké bars and saké-influenced drink

For Heaven's Sake $6 For Heaven's Sake - Bill Evans

Sake and Flowers $6.99 Sake and Flowers - Poster

Hakutsuru Sake $19.99 Hakutsuru Sake - Giclee Print

Sake and Leeks $39.99 Stephen Lebovits Sake and Leeks - Giclee Print

A Toast with Sake $129.99 Ryuji Adachi A Toast with Sake - Framed Art Print

For the Sake of It II $184.99 Brent Nelson For the Sake of It II - Framed Art Print

Furoshiki Wrapping Isshobin Sake Bottle