We only buy bottled if we're out and didn't bring our own water with us, or occasionally my husband will get some to bring to work when his Nalgene is too bulky (e.g. if he's not bringing his bag). But it's pretty rare that we do.

I'm not sure about everywhere else, but where I'm from (near Toronto, Ontario), the standards on testing for tap water are MUCH more strict than for bottled. It's checked several times a day rather than a few times a year!!

There should be another option: I buy filtered water in reusable, ecco-friendly jugs (3- and 5-gallons). It is not a choice; it is a necessity.

We rent and cannot afford to move right now. Over the years, our tap water has become increasingingly contaminated with black specks or rust, so we cannot use tap water for drinking or cooking.

This is relatively common in areas where a city has not upgraded its water piping for decades upon decades or the houses are very old.

We use those large refillable jugs you can buy at Whole Foods and refill them once a week. We had our water tested, and were told to use it mostly for showers, washing clothes or watering plants to avoid consuming the rusty or particle-filled water, so we use the refill jugs for cooking and drinking for ourselves and our pets.

We use filters for the shower, washing machine, and dishwasher. We cannot have an ice maker in our fridge. Our hot water heater gets replaced every few years due to the sediments (we also live in a very hard-water area).

At least this way we don't have to worry about floating particles or off-tastes. Using counter-top filters such as Britta is not feasible because we tend to go through about 20 to 25 gallons a week, but feel the extra expense and effort to refill the large jugs is worth it. We purchased a stand for the jugs that heats or cools the water from the jugs as we need/use it.

Also, because we are buy the latest version of the bottles, clean them regularly as recommended, and examine them for cracks or warping, we feel we are not harming the environment or our health. The jugs, properly cared for, will last for a long time and supposedly can be recycled.

Does seltzer count as buying bottled water?

Only if I'm desperate and without my SIGG. So, very rarely.

I should also add that we use refillable stainless steel bottles to take water with us when we bike or are out and about on foot.
Those are refilled directly from the stand for the large jugs.

That stand comes in handy when I want just one cup of tea or we need cold water for these steel bottles.

I would prefer having safe and clear tap water, but this is the best we can do to protect our health. We try our best to minimize the impact of our need on the environment.

I dont buy bottled water, but I dont filll from the tap either. We have a whole-house water softener and filtering system. Yes, it was very expensive, but over time it pays for itself and was one of the best investments we made. Our clothes last longer, our skin doesn't get all dried-out feeling, and we can cook and drink fresh clean water whenever we need it.

I just drink tap; even from *gasp* public water fountains.
I carry around a refillable water bottle, which I fill with tap. I don't think I've bought bottled water in about 10 years. Not dead yet! But to each their own (except when you litter w/ your bottles...think of the whales!)

The only tap water I decided not to drink was quite close to a fracking site, smelled heavily of sulphur, stained/bleached clothing, and caused gastrointestinal distress in those that drank it.
Be careful, West Virginia.

I buy sparkling water — does that count? For regular water I always drink tap.

If I am buying a beverage, it is usually going to be water, so yes I still purchase bottled water. At home I use a Brita filter pitcher.
I agree it is usually safe to drink tap water, but it simply tastes horrible. If people who buy bottled coke aren't going to be persecuted, I really don't see why those who drink water should be. There just aren't fountains everywhere anymore, unlike Italy where I drank from delicious (ancient!) fountains.

I have three, two-gallon jugs that I fill with filtered water from our grocery store for drinking and making our coffee and tea. Our tap water is fine, but I just can't stand the taste of it. But I think bottled water is gross, too. Tastes like plastic.

The only bottle water I buy is distilled (to put in my cpap device) and of course tonic water. You pay taxes to support an amazing infrastructure that brings healthy water right to your tap. Moving plastic bottles of water halfway around the world is a scandalous waste of our finite resources!

If I'm out and need a drink, and my option is bottled water or a bottle of pop, I'm going with water. We also bought a ton of bottled when the Boston area was under a boil water order and we had no stove to boil it on (kitchen renovation). Other than that, I think it's a waste of money.

For those of you buying jugs of filtered water from the grocery store: you might want to check out getting your own filter - either the pitcher type or the kind you mount on your faucet. I'd bet it would be a lot cheaper.

We buy bottled water from time to time still, but at home we have a filter pitcher. I will not drink unfiltered tap water here, we call it tea because it's that bad.

I never ever buy regular bottled water. In fact, I just got a SodaStream and am enjoying making my own seltzer and soda with it. However, I do occasionally buy bottled sparkling mineral water, but only for special occasion dinners, maybe once every few months, if that.

A Agua da torneira não me sabe bem so consigo beber se tiver fresca....

Unfortunately, I still buy it in bottles for work. At home, I drink tap. I fill glass bottles and keep them in the door of the fridge. I like my water cold. I hate the feeling and taste of water out of my Sigg bottle. I tried really hard to get over it, but just haven't been able to handle it. It's almost like I get a mild electric shock from it. :::shudder:::: So, at work, I still drink bottled water. The glass bottles aren't practical for a teacher. And after talking all day, I really need the hydration.

I buy bottles, but make sure to recycle them weekly. I never throw them in the trash. At work, I have a nalgene and drink filtered tap water.

After watching Tapped, I had had enough. We bought a filter for the tap and aluminum water containers. What the bottled water industry does to this country is horrifying.

I used to be a frequent flyer and I felt my options were always so sadly limited going through airports. There's rarely water fountains to fill up reusable bottles (like my beloved SIGG) and it's just as wasteful to get a cup of water from an airport food court than a full bottle. If someone could invent a water fountain / refilling station for airports, you'd hit a gold mine.

I recently left a position where I flew at least twice a month. I always traveled with my Sigg and my stainless travel mug. Both containers would go through security empty, and my Sigg would get filled at the first water fountain that I'd see. Unlike Everything But The..., I had no problem finding water fountains both here in the US and internationally.

When the TSA at the Capital building made me throw out my 3 year old 1 liter Sigg (which was empty!), I stepped up and bought a combo widemouth/standard bottle. With this I was able to get a full liter in the bottle before departure.

Tap water that's been through the Pur filter if I'm home, tap in the Bobble if I'm out. Pellegrino comes in glass, so I'm not sure if that counts...

A mere coincidence perhaps, but this short flashmob video was up on the Rachel Maddow Blog today.

I love seltzer water but felt so bad about the energy that went into making and shipping the bottles that I invested in a Soda Stream. I love it!! If you drink seltzer on a regular basis, it is seriously the best thing you could buy!

I use a Brita filter. I only buy water in bottles when I'm running around town and get struck with unexpected thirst or if I forget to take my plastic water bottle with me somewhere.

I buy bottled water. I buy gallon sized bottles of distilled and spring. I buy the 12 ounce bottles and fill a wine cooler up. I buy bottled tonic water. I recycle faithfully and that is that. I've seen plenty of people use filters, tap etc - and I'm sorry that doesn't seem like fresh water - the filters get yucky, your faucet is yucky - just buy bottled water in moderation and recycle or repurpose the bottles!

I never buy bottled water. I try not to be a heartless environmentalist, but it really bothers me when people say things like "I just cannot get over the taste of tap water from a steel bottle". Grow up. A slightly different tasting water is a really selfish, and unnecessary use of resources.

Recently I've been thinking about this... regarding food safety and plastic container (doesn't help after watching a german english documentary about it!)

where I live (Hungary), I buy daily at least 2 x 1.5 litre bottle of mineral water. We just don't like the taste of tap water. We send the bottles for recycling. At the moment, I don't see other option other than using a filter in the future.

While in Malaysia (my homeland), we drink boiled tap water !

I never bought bottled water when I lived in the US, but like kriszti, I now live in Hungary (hi!), where the ingestion of ásványvíz (mineral water) is a way of life and is considered to be beneficial to one's health. so I buy sparkling mineral water (about 1 L a week), drink tap at home, and drink the bottled mineral water provided by my work.

I bought my first bottle of water in two years yesterday, only because I was dehydrating, didn't have my usual refillable bottle on me and my only other options were pop.

The college I work at has actually removed all bottled water and installed filtered water machines in a few places on campus (I work at a college in a metropolitan area, so the "campus" is only two buildings!). I just bring my aluminum water bottle with me and fill it up, which is great.

When I get home, I use a Brita, although I know our tap water is safe (I cook with it!), I just like the cold, fresh taste of water from the fridge.

At home and at work, I drink tap water, no bottle required.

For long road trips, I buy bottled water because I live in Arizona, where you don't take off across the desert in the car without water. Since these are rare for me, it doesn't make sense to maintain a dedicated reusable water bottle -- it'd just get dirty in the car or lost in the back of the kitchen cupboards.

I do store bottled water in the pantry in case I have guests and they prefer it, but I take a refillable water bottle to work and fill it before I go. The water in the town I work in is so horrible that even the county water workers won't drink it!

On a side note, I also refuse to buy Figi water after they tried to bully the country into not taxing them any more!

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/30/business/la-fi-fiji-water-20101130

Once Figi refused to back down, the water company came clean and said they didn't plan on stopping operations. They also bought a local winery where I live which I won't frequent anymore either! Sorry for the side note...

Never, before I was eco-friendly I was cheap and I've never been able to imagine paying for a bottle water!

I use steel Kleen Kanteen bottles for iced tea made with tap water. Usually when we go on vacation, I'll buy one bottle of water after I go through the TSA's "security theater" area, then refill it from the tap as needed.

I took it upon myself to take charge of recycling the water bottles we use at work and you would not believe the number of them we go through. The amount of waste involved is just staggering, and if I didn't recycle them, they'd just throw them all away.

I try not to, but sometimes if I need a portable water container and I don't have a water bottle with me, I'll pick one up. Usually this is if I spontaneously decide to go for a hike while I'm out or something like that.

I only buy it if I am out running and can't find a working fountain to drink from. So during the winter this is more often as they turn off the fountains, but otherwise it's very rare.

There are water fountains virtually everywhere and they are free, even in places with expensive bottled water (museums, concert venues, etc) and bars must give free water. There's no excuse to buy a bottle unless you are in a pinch -

Regular water from my under cabinet filtered system and I rarely buy just flavored water when on sale and I have coupons.