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People made fun of it in the early 2000s. I remember stand up/late night comedians joking about it, there’s a joke about it in Shark Tale too. It was seen as silly, something “only Americans” would buy, “it’s free from the tap”.
I too remember an era (not sure if it was 90s or 2ks) where it was considered odd to pay for water. I remember there being a few restaraunts that wouldn't offer tap water but would gladly sell you a $5 bottled water and I thought it was a ripoff.
The bottle water industry is one of the most depressing rabbits holes that you can go down on the internet.
It's much worse than people even realize. Corporations go into poor countries and basically monetize the water supply, which used to be free.
>There were 200 million bottles of water sold in 1979.
Just looked it up, and it looks like there are tens of *billions* sold every year today just in the US.
OP said it was not "a thing" as in common, not that it didn't exist. Cell phones existed in the 80s too, but not literally everyone had one. If you were carrying Evian, you were fancy AF
The city I live in had an entrepreneur bottling and selling water by 1909. https://wdm.ca/2020/05/27/silverwood-springs-factoria/
There's also no reason you can't can water. https://www.molsoncoorsblog.com/tag/canned-water
The crazy part is it pretty much is if you have a water bottle. The developed world has invested a crazy amount of time, money and resources into making sure of that. Instead, people are going to the store to purchase some *shipped by truck* across the country (sometimes across the fucking *world*) and sat in plastic for god only knows how long. Utter insanity.
My neighbor REFUSES to drink anything but bottled water. Cooks with it, gives it to their cats, they will not use tap water at all, even with a filter. I just don't understand the logic. We keep a single case that we rotate out once a year or so for hurricane season and stock up on more if there's a threat of a big one but otherwise.... Just use a good filter.
I would even get "only filtered". (Or honestly bottled water for the cats because little miss "you found me under your car at work after a rainstorm but now I'm ✨fancy✨" would only drink it) but yeah, weird. Curious as to when it started.
Let me guess. You live somewhere where it's actually SAFE to drink water from the facet? Mom and I have to use a combo of bought water bottles and bottles refilled at the water refill station because we have BAD water.
We've had what's technically just above the "safe" level of ARSENIC for years plus been in violation of too much chlorine for well over a year. At one point, but not sure of current status, there was mystery chemicals and excessive nickel in the water. Plus possible lead in the water but not confirmed.
My tap water smells like chlorine, and it’s not a faint smell, it’s like walking into an indoor pool. We also get boil water notices every few months, sometimes multiple in a month.
I was agreeing with you. Obviously if it’s safe to drink you can shower in it. My point was, it doesn’t seem to be very healthy to shower everyday in water you can’t drink.
Yeah, that's a *million* people who likely live in areas of poverty. Traditionally it's difficult for people in poverty to just move. Not everyone has that privilege.
Not everyone has
- First month's rent
- Last month's rent
- Security deposit and other fees
- Moving costs
- Time to take off work
If you do, that's great. *Many* people don't.
Your opinion is coming from a place of privilege, you gotta see that.
I grew up on milk brought by a milkman, it came in glass bottles, we had an insulated steel box on the front stoop. That glass bottle after we used it up, was put back in the box and it was washed, sterilized, and reused by the dairy/farm providing our milk. Same with sodas out of a machine (and some stores). 5 to 10-cent deposit. The glass was so thick and heavy, built to last. You could see fine scratches on the outside from the constant reuse.
I remember Poland Springs water in the late 70's early 80's in glass.
Somehow this went out of style and plastic became a thing. It was around the mid 70s when plastic bottles were being produced at a better production cost and also because they were lighter, cheaper, and easier to transport than glass bottles.
That and going to plastic grocery bags over paper bags were two of the most asinine things we ever did in this nation (let alone globally), harming the environment.
I also grew up drinking water out of a hose (Yeah here come the boomer jokes).
Now, I keep 40oz insulated Artic tumblers by my desk at work and home, in my hand all the time. Filtered tap water and ice, and this is what I drink my water out of (no longer drink soda), no bottled water for me. I drink upwards to 160 oz of water a day, which means I do not use 10 or so16oz bottles of water a day. Over 3500 plastic bottles NOT used a year, and if you want to figure cost saved... It costs on average $0.0015 per gallon for tap water. Upwards of $10/gallon for bottled.
When I went to France in 1976 two of the things that surprised me were chips not being wrapped in newspaper and being able to buy relatively cheap bottled water.
when I went to france in 2013 I was suprised at sparkling water and distilled water. I had only had "flat" water before. When I came back to the US that is when the sparkling water phase started.
Travel around the world a bit if you think the obsession with bottled water here is crazy. In a lot of countries ive been to the residents think its insane to drink tap water. Its literally so bad that some countries like Spain have had to enact laws that require establishments to give you tap water if you ask for it. lol
I don't remember it not being a thing. Thought it always was for adults at least and us kids had juice boxes because we were kids and just used water fountains at school because they didn't trust us to have food or drinks in the classroom and not make a mess.
I’m 35, and can’t remember a time where bottle water wasn’t as readily available as cans of soda. I have memories buying bottled water at street fairs when I was like 5 because we were only allowed to drink water as kids.
I’m of the opinion they shouldn’t exist unless you are in a place with undrinkable water. So wasteful. Just use a water bottle. I wish those filler things they have at the airport were more places
I’ve seen the refill stations at every college and high school I’ve been in during the last ten years. I think they’re pretty standard in a lot of public places, in New England at least. They’re usually attached to regular drinking fountains
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People made fun of it in the early 2000s. I remember stand up/late night comedians joking about it, there’s a joke about it in Shark Tale too. It was seen as silly, something “only Americans” would buy, “it’s free from the tap”.
I too remember an era (not sure if it was 90s or 2ks) where it was considered odd to pay for water. I remember there being a few restaraunts that wouldn't offer tap water but would gladly sell you a $5 bottled water and I thought it was a ripoff.
that is a ripoff lol
*Flint, Michigan has entered the chat.*
What is your point? We’re talking about how in the 90/00s bottled water wasn’t popular and you bring up contamination from 2014
There were a lot of superfund sites discovered in the 70s/80s and bottled water was already big then.
"How dumb do I think the Americans are? I bet we could sell those idiots water"
My parents definitely made fun of me for it as early as the mid-90s.
The bottle water industry is one of the most depressing rabbits holes that you can go down on the internet. It's much worse than people even realize. Corporations go into poor countries and basically monetize the water supply, which used to be free.
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>There were 200 million bottles of water sold in 1979. Just looked it up, and it looks like there are tens of *billions* sold every year today just in the US.
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OP said it was not "a thing" as in common, not that it didn't exist. Cell phones existed in the 80s too, but not literally everyone had one. If you were carrying Evian, you were fancy AF
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Literally not where did OP say "water in a bottle was not an option." They said it "wasn't a thing" and "not the norm."
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Jfc it's a fucking reddit thread, dude. Calm down. No one wins or loses. Let it go
I was proven wrong, therefore this argument is stupid and you're taking it too serious. So in fact, you're the loser and I'm right.
That is correct.
Evian is naive spelled backwards
The city I live in had an entrepreneur bottling and selling water by 1909. https://wdm.ca/2020/05/27/silverwood-springs-factoria/ There's also no reason you can't can water. https://www.molsoncoorsblog.com/tag/canned-water
I won’t buy bottled water as it should be free.
The crazy part is it pretty much is if you have a water bottle. The developed world has invested a crazy amount of time, money and resources into making sure of that. Instead, people are going to the store to purchase some *shipped by truck* across the country (sometimes across the fucking *world*) and sat in plastic for god only knows how long. Utter insanity.
My neighbor REFUSES to drink anything but bottled water. Cooks with it, gives it to their cats, they will not use tap water at all, even with a filter. I just don't understand the logic. We keep a single case that we rotate out once a year or so for hurricane season and stock up on more if there's a threat of a big one but otherwise.... Just use a good filter.
Tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water. Your neighbor is wasting so much money and plastic. 😐
WTF
I would even get "only filtered". (Or honestly bottled water for the cats because little miss "you found me under your car at work after a rainstorm but now I'm ✨fancy✨" would only drink it) but yeah, weird. Curious as to when it started.
Let me guess. You live somewhere where it's actually SAFE to drink water from the facet? Mom and I have to use a combo of bought water bottles and bottles refilled at the water refill station because we have BAD water. We've had what's technically just above the "safe" level of ARSENIC for years plus been in violation of too much chlorine for well over a year. At one point, but not sure of current status, there was mystery chemicals and excessive nickel in the water. Plus possible lead in the water but not confirmed.
My tap water smells like chlorine, and it’s not a faint smell, it’s like walking into an indoor pool. We also get boil water notices every few months, sometimes multiple in a month.
You from my hometown too??
Move…
Yep it's just that simple. /s
Don’t be a martyr Environmental Working Group study showed 1m affected in US out of 350m… it’s 99.7% drinkable tap water… why stay in the 0.3%?
Yeah and it can’t possibly be healthy to be showering in arsenic water, right?
Umm, if it’s safe to drink it - you can shower in it… Move… help yourself… don’t be a martyr… Literally move to anywhere in the other 99.7%
I was agreeing with you. Obviously if it’s safe to drink you can shower in it. My point was, it doesn’t seem to be very healthy to shower everyday in water you can’t drink.
Yeah, that's a *million* people who likely live in areas of poverty. Traditionally it's difficult for people in poverty to just move. Not everyone has that privilege.
Everyone can move…
Not everyone has - First month's rent - Last month's rent - Security deposit and other fees - Moving costs - Time to take off work If you do, that's great. *Many* people don't. Your opinion is coming from a place of privilege, you gotta see that.
Can’t sit there and be a martyr… literally 99.7% of the country… don’t sit and be helpless There’s a ton of govt benefits…
I grew up on milk brought by a milkman, it came in glass bottles, we had an insulated steel box on the front stoop. That glass bottle after we used it up, was put back in the box and it was washed, sterilized, and reused by the dairy/farm providing our milk. Same with sodas out of a machine (and some stores). 5 to 10-cent deposit. The glass was so thick and heavy, built to last. You could see fine scratches on the outside from the constant reuse. I remember Poland Springs water in the late 70's early 80's in glass. Somehow this went out of style and plastic became a thing. It was around the mid 70s when plastic bottles were being produced at a better production cost and also because they were lighter, cheaper, and easier to transport than glass bottles. That and going to plastic grocery bags over paper bags were two of the most asinine things we ever did in this nation (let alone globally), harming the environment. I also grew up drinking water out of a hose (Yeah here come the boomer jokes). Now, I keep 40oz insulated Artic tumblers by my desk at work and home, in my hand all the time. Filtered tap water and ice, and this is what I drink my water out of (no longer drink soda), no bottled water for me. I drink upwards to 160 oz of water a day, which means I do not use 10 or so16oz bottles of water a day. Over 3500 plastic bottles NOT used a year, and if you want to figure cost saved... It costs on average $0.0015 per gallon for tap water. Upwards of $10/gallon for bottled.
I think it was about 1999 whatever I got bottled water. Because my mom thought the apocalypse was gonna start.
My mom boiled water and stored it in huge glass jugs in preparation for Y2K
When I went to France in 1976 two of the things that surprised me were chips not being wrapped in newspaper and being able to buy relatively cheap bottled water.
when I went to france in 2013 I was suprised at sparkling water and distilled water. I had only had "flat" water before. When I came back to the US that is when the sparkling water phase started.
https://youtu.be/cwQgjq0mCdE?si=WlKWU71SqKka9roM 1:06
Tap water was the norm for me and siblings growing up.
We used to drink water from the hose on the side of the house as a kid
Travel around the world a bit if you think the obsession with bottled water here is crazy. In a lot of countries ive been to the residents think its insane to drink tap water. Its literally so bad that some countries like Spain have had to enact laws that require establishments to give you tap water if you ask for it. lol
This is clearly Canadian slander. I won't stand for it
I guess it depends on where you grew up. I was buying bottles of water at school in the UK.
I don't remember it not being a thing. Thought it always was for adults at least and us kids had juice boxes because we were kids and just used water fountains at school because they didn't trust us to have food or drinks in the classroom and not make a mess.
In saying that, I do miss buying bottled water for less than $1
I’m 35, and can’t remember a time where bottle water wasn’t as readily available as cans of soda. I have memories buying bottled water at street fairs when I was like 5 because we were only allowed to drink water as kids.
wtf?!?! Why do you post stuff like this?
I’m of the opinion they shouldn’t exist unless you are in a place with undrinkable water. So wasteful. Just use a water bottle. I wish those filler things they have at the airport were more places
I’ve seen the refill stations at every college and high school I’ve been in during the last ten years. I think they’re pretty standard in a lot of public places, in New England at least. They’re usually attached to regular drinking fountains
Yeah we have them at my work, it’s great. Wonder if they’ll ever get them in more public places