Thursday, August 23, 2012

Water, Water, Everywhere...

Or is it?
Living most of my life in Michigan, I find that water is everywhere. A drought is when it doesn't rain for two days in a row.
As the world walks around with water bottles in hand, and Michigan is debating if there should be a deposit placed on water bottles like the one that we have on soda bottles, I'm left a little perplexed as to why someone would buy water in the first place.

Let me state here that I know that Michigan has some of the cleanest water in the world and there seems to be a never ending supply. I also know that there are many regions around the world that do not even come to close to what Michigan has.




Several years ago a canal that would drain some of Lake Michigan to the less fortunate Mid-West states was voted down. But I'm left wondering now, if they didn't get that canal after all, in a different sort of way.


I'm going to ask each of you to look at the back of your water bottle and in the comments below, tell me where the source of your water is. Maybe it's because I'm in Michigan but all of them that I have found, state that they are sourced from right here. Little towns like Evart, Livonia and Stanwood, all right here in Michigan are where this water seems to be coming from. Perhaps I'm only seeing Michigan sourced water because of transportation issues. I'd dread if they were shipping water all around the globe from Michigan. I know that any water can be filtered and cleaned up. So, it makes sense to me that water in Iowa, would be sourced in Iowa. I hope that is the case.

I had to laugh one day stocking the cooler at the store that I used to work in. I was putting some Fiji water on the shelf and on the back of the bottle, they were bragging that Fiji water comes from the cleanest natural springs in the Fiji rainforest. And it went on to brag that proceeds from the sale of their water goes to help preserve the rainforest. I'm left a little perplexed again, that they are able to take the water (that helps to keep the rainforest alive) out of the forest and ship it, in huge container ships, around the world, to a store in my neighborhood and my dollars used to purchase it would somehow replace that water and keep the rainforest alive and healthy.
That being said, please tell me that your water doesn't come from Michigan. Is our precious Lake system being drained from within?!
Personally, I get my water from the tap in my kitchen. It's delicious. But I'm not stupid. When I travel, I go with the bottled option. The water may not be bad, but my stomach is used to my water and you just never know what you're getting.

So where does your water come from?

12 comments:

Moving with Mitchell said...

Well, the two bottles of water I have nearby are from two different sources in Spain, which makes sense since that's where I am. When I lived in California, the three different brands of bottled water I regularly consumed were all from California sources.

Mark said...

My office water bottle is so old, the label came off months ago. And at home, I drink from the tap in the fridge so I guess that's considered tap. It's all the same to me!
m.

Ms Sparrow said...

The "flat" water comes to St Paul from Chippewa Falls WI. The "sparkling" Mendota Springs brand water comes from the Mississippi River--indirectly. Years ago, when I lived in Fergus Falls MN, my parents would bring water from home in Savage MN because they said FF water made them sick. I agree that importing water from Fiji or France is ridiculous. I've never sampled Michigan water, but the tap water I drank in Iceland was wonderful!

Jim said...

Most of the bottled wtaer here in Nova Scotia is from Ontario....unless you buy Perrier or the other carbonated water.
We drink water from our tap at home. We have a well that is checked regularly and has an ultraviolet light attached that will kill any unwanted bacteria. It is good water. We do not drink city water because of the chlorine/floride that is added. Chlorine has been banned in some countries in Europe for years because of the possible effects it can have on humans.

Unknown said...

Tap people. I like tap people.
So far, no Michigan water. I'm certainly glad to see we're not shipping it all the way to Spain, especially since France is right next door. But really Nova Scotia gets its water from Ontario?! That's pretty much Michigan, aey?

Jim said...

As far as I know we don't 'bottle' water in N.S.

MorningAJ said...

On the few occasions that I buy bottled water (usually when I'm on a long car journey) it tends to be from Derbyshire (just up the road from here) but they also sell Scottish water here - called Highland Spring. That's supposed to go really well with scotch whisky.

Unknown said...

Ontario is Michigan's third peninsula. All 3 come as a set no matter where they draw that imaginary line.

Unknown said...

Whiskey and water. You just brought back memories of my grandfather. In the years before his death, he was so used to his well water and homemade whiskey that city water would make him sick.

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

when at home, i drink from the tap...

but the bottles of water i keep for the car rides says they get their water from 4 different sources...all in florida.
(which really isn't very good...sometimes i wonder if that's why we're getting so many sinkholes down here...sucking all that water out!)

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

oh...ps...we're on well water here at home...
so i guess even we are sucking that water from underground. a few years back, when we had a BAD drought down here, people's wells were going dry!! yikes!

Admin said...

I always feel a bit guilty if I buy a bottle of water since I could have brought my own for 'free' from home :-) If I do buy a bottle, then i reuse that bottle many times (drinking from one right now). I love having a fridge in my Flex since I always keep it stocked with a couple bottles of tap water and can quickly chill it for hiking/playground adventures.