Singapore’s The Straits Times daily newspaper today just happened to publish a very timely and good article on the thoughts of Professor Tommy Koh (among other duties, Chairman of the recent Water  Leaders Summit during Singapore International Water Week) and water expert Leong Ching PhD as to why Singaporeans should not buy bottled water.

The main reasons cited are fivefold:

1 it’s a complete waste of money. 1 volume of bottled water costs as much as 850 times a similar volume of PUB (tap) water – and it is also more expensive than an equivalent volume of petrol (gas);

2 tap water is as safe as bottled water – and in fact some studies have shown that some bottled water can contain leachate from plastic bottles;

3 energy (and fossil fuels) used in the production of bottles is high – adding to our GHG emmissions;

4 used bottles present a big disposal problem. In Singapore these are incinerated – adding to GHG etc. Bottled water is also generally imported resulting in more energy consumption from shipping;

and finally

5 drinking tap water is the right thing to do.

Unless of course you live in a country where the local tap water is not available or is not fit for cunsumption. Sadly these issues still affect about 1 billion of us.

The right of a person to safe and affordable water is a basic human right.

Meanwhile sales of bottled water in countries with advanced water treatment facilities such as Singapore have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. Good marketing…

In Singapore a few years ago during the opening of a Black & Veatch designed advanced water treatment facility producing drinking water of the highest quality, someone served visiting officials bottled water…the irony of which was not lost on them.  

So drink tap water wherever possible .

Posted by: Gerry O’Toole