(Published in SB Indie January 12, 2006).
Most of us laugh at the idea of paying for something you can get for free. Yet most of us will gladly pay a dollar or two for a bottle of Dasani or Arrowhead — even though we can get water from a faucet for nothing.
The bottled-water industry is worth $9 billion a year, making it more valuable than movies. When it comes to popularity, bottled water is second only to carbonated beverages — which makes the phenomenon advantageous to drink distributors.
But what about consumers? Does bottled water really give us something tap water doesn’t? Are we getting more bang for our buck-and-change? What about this new generation of enhanced, modified, and supplemented waters? Are they of higher value, or just better hype?
It depends on what you consider valuable, said food-and-beverage consultant Arthur Von Wiesenberger and UCSB chemistry faculty member Leroy Laverman. Yes, bottled water is more convenient for long-term storage, accident-prone bedsides, and portability. Yes, different waters taste different, thanks to the different minerals and chemicals present at their sources. In those ways, bottled waters may be worth more to a busy mom, exercise buff, or water connoisseur than the kitchen-sink variety.
But those who argue their designer water is healthier or hydrates better than the city’s offerings may just be victims of the marketing machine, experts say.
Filtered or purified waters (e.g., Dasani, Aquafina) are simply purified local municipal water (and therefore may taste different from region to region). The potentially harmful metals, parasites, and bacteria that are removed are the same ones the city removes before sending the water to your house.
Distilled waters (e.g., Culligan, Cascade) are ordinary water with all additives boiled out. Though it’s tempting to think of these as “pure,” Von Wiesenberger, author of several books including Oasis: The Complete Guide to Bottled Water, hesitates to use that word. “People think of ‘pure’ as something that’s good. In this case, you have water that is devoid of anything. That works great for batteries, steam-generating plants, and your iron, but it’s very bland-tasting.” He noted that some recipes, including baked goods, coffee, and tea, actually need the minerals in non-distilled water in order to come out right. In fact, his friend, the late Julia Child, used to make her Chinese tea with bottled spring water (she wouldn’t say what brand).
Spring waters (e.g., Evian) are natural, captured from underground formations, but can’t promise to be unpolluted by the environment. Regulated mineral waters (e.g., Crystal Geyser) are natural, too, and must contain at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids coming right out of the ground, with nothing else added. But that doesn’t mean you need those minerals — the calcium in mineral waters isn’t easily absorbed, too much fluoride can be a bad thing, and anything there you might need you can probably get from a healthy diet.
Oxygenated waters (e.g., HiOSilver) are distilled or filtered spring water treated with medical-grade oxygen, but you can’t actually absorb oxygen through your intestines. Fruit-flavored waters (e.g., fruitwater) may have natural ingredients, but they’re packed with sugars and calories (even the healthier ones).
Though the minerals, herbs, and supplements added to vitamin-infused waters (e.g., Vitamin Water) won’t hurt you if you don’t drink too much of them, you’re more likely to overshoot your daily RDA by drinking them than boost your health. And waters claiming to be electrolyte-enhanced (e.g., Smart Water) really have some kind of added salt — which is great if you’re running a marathon. Otherwise, you’ll probably never lose enough salt or burn enough calories to require special water — or sports drinks like Gatorade. “Who needs extra salt in their water? With an American diet, pretty much nobody,” said Laverman.
So what’s the bottom line? If you’re really worried about contaminated water, or that your immune system is compromised, or if you really hate the flavor of tap water, bottled water probably is for you. Beyond that, it’s really just — well — a matter of taste.
Most people don’t drink enough water, so whatever encourages them to down some — whether bubbles or B vitamins — is a good thing. But as for the benefits of super-duper-über water with special powers and secret ingredients? You might get more from the funny text on the packaging than you do from the water’s contents.
“For the most part,” said Laverman, “water’s just water.”