For years, we have all heard that we should not be using plastic bottles, they clog up the land fills, don't disintegrate and in many cases they have dangerous chemicals like BPA (Bisphenol A) and maleates and fumarates floating around, which are used to make the actual plastic bottles. And I've always wanted to stop using the bottles but I could never decide on the type of reusable bottle to get or which type of water filters; should I get Brita or the other brand that advertises cleaner water.
I let years go by trying to decide. Then one day when I was out of bottled water I decided to use my filtered water from the refrigerator. I had only used it for making coffee and cooking and I don't cook much so maybe it was used for tea and soups.
I put the water in a glass bottle I had left over from lemonade, put in the fridge and have been using it ever since. It's easy to manage and drink and I fill it up quite easily when needed. One thing I noticed is that I am actually tasting the water. The bottled waters seem to be so sterilized and filtered that there is no taste at all. And not that water really has a taste, but the tap water is noticeable and delicious.
A few years back, we had a hurricane or a big storm come through Miami. The next day, people all lined up behind 18-wheelers to get free bottles of water from the county. The mayor came on tv to talk about the storm and he said something I'll never forget. He said, "People, so many of you have been waiting hours in line for a bottle of water. If you want water, go home and turn on your taps!"
That was an "ah ha" moment for me. It took almost 10 years for it to absorb but now I am happy with the filtered tap water. Sure, I use bottled water when I am out or at festivals or events where I buy it on the spot. But I am not purchasing cases and cases of bottled water to use at home which I did in the past. I didn't think of the savings, but I am sure I am saving a lot of money now, too.