Bottled water is one of the most popular, and most expensive consumer beverages available today. Vast quantities are sold daily in North America and around the world.

The question is, why?

The bottled water industry has created a desire for their product by capitalizing on fear. The average consumer may be suspicious of their municipal water supply for a wide variety of reasons, including plenty of horror stories in the press detailing lax water quality standards or procedures at some municipal water treatment plants.

Still other consumers are concerned about the quality of their own well water due to stories of how easily ground water can be contaminated with industrial or agricultural waste from factories and factory farms.

The media has helped create an environment where consumers are afraid to drink their own tap water.

Consider the cost. Bottled water can add hundreds of dollars to the grocery bill for the average family. In fact over time the cost to consumers can be literally tens of thousands of dollars thrown away chasing a decent and healthy glass of water.

Consider the environment. Every year tens of millions of plastic water bottles end up in landfill and littering the environment. This is an environmental disaster of epic proportions yet millions of otherwise environmentally aware people pay no heed to the mountain of garbage they help create by using bottled water products.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/why-drink-bottled-water-577430.html