Specifically filtered tap water vs. bottled water. Or is the real healthy way to simply consume the fruits and vegees with the real water already in them? I ask because I've read and heard on various news shows how bottled water is worse, according to the commentator, because the plastic seems to emit things into the water that contaminate it. Can some of you educate me a little better? Thanks,

David

There are some raw foodists that subsist on water from fresh produce; this is more easily done if one eats produce right after harvesting, as it won't have gotten at all dehydrated yet.

As for other water: spring water if you can get it, then well water from a clean well(must be tested regularily), then filtered water(I use reverse osmosis filtered), then spring water from a bottle, etc. Tap water is, IMO, a no-no--'tis human liquid compost with a soupcon of bleach and endocrine disruptors and is too filthy to really be considered potable. We took a field trip to a water treatment plant when I was a girl, and it was, um, enlightening, let us say.

As you suspect, the main problem with even safe water is what one stores it in. So much plastic off gasses or leaches, small pure[ish] stainless steel or glass containers are available, but as far as I know, there is no such thing as a 2-3 gallon "safe" stainless steel water container, and a glass one of that size would be unwieldy once filled. I don't fancy the thought of driving 70 miles once a week to fill glass containers with water straight from a spring, but if you live near one, you could obviously make more frequent trips and not have to fill a week's worth of large containers at once, risking damage to your shocks should the road home be bumpy. It's a problem[sigh].

You can get pretty big (might only be a gallon) glass containers meant for sun tea that have a spigot at the bottom.

I see those at the thrift store now and then but the spigot is plastic. What do you fill them with though? I wouldn't trust a reverse osmosis machine where you refill your own bottles. All it takes is a teensy microscopic tear and that thing isn't doing squat. How often do they test those machines, really? I don't think it's a lot.

Gravity feed Berkey Filter system -

[www.berkeyfilters.com]

We have 4 or 5 natural springs on our peoperty, and they are all contaminated with nitrites/nitrates & other nasties...

We live in a valley surrounded by farms, so we get all the runoff from the farms in our water supply.

I use a multi pure filteron my kitchen sink. It turns out to be much cheaper & healthier than bottled water, brita, or pure.

coconuts,

My local reverse osmosis filtered water store is tested several times a year and the system is a 14 or 15 stage one. I know people that have had it independently tested and it's spooky clear. Like, I have to be sure to eat lots of minerals clear.

Nubster,

Yeah, I have seen people bringing in 4 and 5 gallon glass winemaking casks to the water store for refills, but my little Nissan couldn't handle the weight of two things like that. Not to mention they weigh about as much as a fifteen-year-old boy, filled with water--how would I get them out of me car?!

You need a nubster around for heavy lifting .
ha ha ha