Tap Water

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The Dangers of Drinking Tap Water

I don't think in the US I've ever bought large bottled water for the house. Maybe a small one for a hike or a picnic, but never gallons of water to drink out of at home. No we have water that comes out of sinks for that. But that's different in a lot of Europe. Instead many buy water bottles instead of drinking tap water, or buying a filter.


So what's the deal with buying bottled water? Well in some parts of Europe, including France, tap water is not safe to drink. So naturally people go and buy safe drinking water. But what about the parts that have safe tap water? Why do they buy the bottled water? Because for some reason, tap water is bad for you. And I get that rusty old pipes don't make for clean water, but how often does that happen in a first world country if things are well maintained? So I did some research like the true history nerd that I am and came to no conclusions. Some said it goes back to the time of the plague when water was contaminated so people didn't always trust water. Others said its thanks to the water companies convincing people that tap water is bad. Whatever the reason, this fear of tap water has been around for decades. So I try to offer people bottled water to not freak them out as much and not drink tap water in front of everyone. But I still won't pay for the outrageously priced bottled water at restaurants. Instead I'll deal with the glares when I ask for "aqua di robinetto."