So Pepsi revealed today that its brand of bottled water, Aquafina, is tap water. I know some will be outraged and justifiably feel duped. After all, who would feel good about having paid for water most can get for free in their kitchens?
For me, this debate comes down to practicality. I have been living like a student these last few years, which has meant that my grocery store ventures produce few bounties and fewer “luxuries” as I call them-- the things I in no way need to adequately nourish myself but purchase for the sake of enjoyment. Bottled water has never made the trip back from the grocery store with me, partly because that’s a lot of heaviness for one 5”7 girl and her little cart to carry. Partly because I have a conversation with myself that goes like this:
“Should we buy bottled water? It’ll be so convenient to just grab one on our way out, stick one in the purse. The 8-glasses a day thing will be so much easier with bottled water on hand.”
“OK, then why don’t we buy a Nalgene bottle, refill it with the free stuff that comes from the faucet, and and not buy into this whole ‘oxidized nine times for the puriest-pure French Alps water’ thing.”
“But it IS more pure, and therefore better for you, and then you won’t get cancer.”
“So we will hook up that tap filter we got from the mother-in-law, avoid cancer, and still not pay for some Coke conglomerate’s version of water.”
So today I purse my lips, slide my head back and scoff at the news release from Pepsi. It’s water, people. Not cigarettes, not cancer water, water.

Labels: consumerism, water