Does anyone on EWEB water actually buy and use bottled water? (Eugene: apartment, house)

[Those Who Squirm]

I'm curious about this because everyone around my area has water from EWEB, yet I see people buying cases of bottled water, just as I used to do when I lived in California. To me, EWEB water tastes like Evian, but maybe that's just because I remember the water in CAlifornia. L.A.'s water, actually, wasn't that bad in my opinion, but it was when we moved to San Diego County that we had truly horrible water from the local utility. You'd think that San Diego's water would be better than L.A., but it isn't by a mile. San Diego water tastes about how I imagine the runoff from hosing down a driveway would taste if you piped it into your house. We had to schlep case after case of bottled water to our third floor apartment in Escondido. (Of course there was an elevator, but whenever I had to buy water I couldn't walk to the market as I otherwise did.)

So, is it that some people don't like EWEB's water, or they think there's something wrong with it that they need bottled water? Or do the people who buy bottled water happen to live in outlying areas where they have to rely on wells?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

That's Eugene? My son is working in Eugene right now and he says that Eugene water is undrinkable. He buys bottled water and uses bottled water to make his coffee. I have absolutely no idea whether or not what is coming out of his tap is from EWEB or a different company.


And as a separate issue, he buys his bottled water here in Idaho so he doesn't have to pay $3.00 in bottle deposit, which is more than the cost of the water. Bottles then go into the recycle bin so he doesn't have to go to the recycle center, since he has no deposit money that he has to try to get back.


I've been in Escondido and agree that their tap water is undrinkable.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

That's Eugene? My son is working in Eugene right now and he says that Eugene water is undrinkable. He buys bottled water and uses bottled water to make his coffee. I have absolutely no idea whether or not what is coming out of his tap is from EWEB or a different company.


And as a separate issue, he buys his bottled water here in Idaho so he doesn't have to pay $3.00 in bottle deposit, which is more than the cost of the water. Bottles then go into the recycle bin so he doesn't have to go to the recycle center, since he has no deposit money that he has to try to get back.


I've been in Escondido and agree that their tap water is undrinkable.

I'm surprised your son says the water is so bad. It's possible he's on a different water supply, but it doesn't seem likely. I just read that the McKenzie River (EWEB's source) supplies water to over 200,000 people which is more than actually live in the city. So I wonder now if it's even possible that there are "well drinkers" anywhere within the city limits.

IIRC all of San Diego gets its water from the same utility, and it was equally bad at UCSD when I was a student there. If I left a water glass right side up to dry on its own after washing it, there would be tiny little piles of white powdery precipitate left behind.

[Pahn]

Why wouldn't you buy bigger water bottles? Get a 5 gallon dispenser and use that.

Sure beats endless bottles of water.

Or install some filtration.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by Pahn

Why wouldn't you buy bigger water bottles? Get a 5 gallon dispenser and use that.

Sure beats endless bottles of water.

The small bottles were more convenient for us for a couple of reasons. We always recycled them.

Or install some filtration.

No, not me. I'm happy with the water I have. Oregonwoodsmoke's son might want to consider some of those options, though.

[Bees522]

The water tastes fine right out of our Eugene tap.

[Pahn]

Originally Posted by Those Who Squirm

The small bottles were more convenient for us for a couple of reasons. We always recycled them.

Except plastic recycling is largely a myth. It probably just gets dumped into the landfill, now that China doesn't take it.

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/pl...bout-recycling

[happy-robot]

EWEB water is ok, a little chlorine-y. Personally I drink and cook with filtered water. I've got an Aquasana under counter filter and changing these out every six months is a darn sight cheaper than buying bottled water. The Aquasana filters out PFAS and fluoride, two chems that we certainly don't need more of in our bodies.

Plus, the impact of plastic bottles is avoided - plastic for the most part doesn't get recycled and you still have all those chemicals leaching into your drink. And you don't have to haul a bunch of weighty water around.

There are alternates to plastic bottled water, BTW. Boxed water (boxedwaterisbetter.com) or Ever and Ever (drinkeverandever.com) come in foil lined cardboard and aluminum respectively. These are what I have stored under my house for emergency supplies. Free shipping keeps your sore back out of the equation.

[Pahn]

Originally Posted by happy-robot

There are alternates to plastic bottled water, BTW. Boxed water (boxedwaterisbetter.com) or Ever and Ever (drinkeverandever.com) come in foil lined cardboard and aluminum respectively.

Foiled-lined cardboard isn't even recyclable in many parts of the US. It requires a special process to separate the foil and cardboard. It's like Pringles cans. I'm the weirdo that manually separates the foil and the paperboard, but nobody else does.

Aluminum seems to be the best packaging solution for water, or glass.

[mtndave]

I drink EWEB water right out of the faucet, in fact, I fill my daily water bottles with this. Taste fine to me. Now a nearby city in Sweet Home, I cant stand their tap water.