Nowadays you often see young people, and even the old carrying around with them bottled water. The cost can be a few dollars. Why, as a girl in the 1940s when printed comics were all the go, I read a science fiction story where an oppressed people were charged for bottled water. That’s absurd I thought, then went to look at Superman, which I thought was more realistic! But, as an indication of how things change for the worst, all of the time, here we are. Next it will be paying for air to breathe, as we already pay to be able to walk on the ground.
https://amp.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/drink/water-scientist-puts-bottled-brands-to-test-in-abcs-war-on-waste/news-story/13cb4a17b1fc81c50b21e6cf532172c1
“THE lid has been lifted on what’s actually in our bottled water — and it’s probably not what you think. While some brands claim to be full of minerals you wouldn’t find in a tap, turns out filling the glass at home is better for you. And if you’re one of those people avoiding fluoride, well the bad news is it’s in the bottled stuff too. In fact, one company that’s been put to the test — Nature’s Best — was found to be really not that different to tap water at all. In the season two premiere of ABC’s War on Waste popular water brands were put to the test, comparing them to Gold Coast water in one of Griffith University’s testing labs. Australian tap water is subject to stringent testing and regulations to ensure it’s safe to drink but bottled water is classified as a food product and not subject to the same controls which means quality and mineral content can vary depending on the brand. Testing showed tap water has a relatively high concentration of minerals like calcium and magnesium, more than most of the bottled brands, except Fiji water.”
In other words, bottled water is a bit of a joke, if the aim is to get something super-better than say, flittered tap water or rainwater. The above article would indicate that one is better off saving one’s money.