Water Consumption - Justice Le Tran Alexander

In class we discussed the ways the water industry has taken advantage of water markets around the world. Bottled water in particular is sneakily harmful not only to sustainability efforts but to the accessibility of water to areas where it is not readily available. I drew a lot of connections with the use of bottled water to how people in my own life consume water. For many, bottled water is the way to go and it's bought in bulk.

This concerns me because we learned that water in the bottle is often the same kind that comes out the tap. Though, I can see why some are accustomed to having water purifiers or supplied of water jugs and bottles because certain areas' water supply are questionable for my taste. 

When I visit my cousin in Georgia I have a real thing against drinking from their faucet. Even taking a shower or brushing my teeth can be a daunting task because when I smell that water it reeks of sulfur. The area he lives in is built on top of a swamp in a rural county so I can see that perhaps the water quality might be affected by the surrounding environment and water processing in the area.

Flint, Michigan's water crisis was itself an example of how devastating the lack of potable water can be. Bottled water was a necessity during the crisis and is still used in high quantities due to remaining distrust in the local government to control water network. 

At the same time bottled water is produced to make a profit. Only 3% of the worlds water supply is fresh water and an even smaller portion of that is used for consumption. There is a perception in the United States that by bottling this limited resource that it is inherently better for you in some way. While true that bottled water can be useful in areas of need. Real access to clean drinking water begins with no strings attached.

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