World Water Day

On Tuesday this past week, an organization known as Corporate Accountability International conducted a "Tap Water Challenge". The challenge took place in the following cities across the United States:

• Austin
• Baltimore
• Minneapolis
• Philadelphia
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco
• Seattle

The challenge consisted of seeing if people could tell the difference between regular tap water and bottled waters such as Dasani and Aquafina. Water was placed in cups on a table. The cups were labeled A,B,C, and D. Two of the cups contained tap water, and two held the bottled stuff. Could people tell the difference? Nope. In the San Francisco test, only three out of 32 testers were able to correctly identify the water in the cups.

So why do we pay for bottled water when we can't tell the difference between it and ordinary tap water? According to Corporate Accountability International, it's the result of slick marketing campaigns by the likes of Coca-Cola Co. (Dasani), and PepsiCo Inc. (Aquafina) aimed at making the public believe that bottled water is somehow better-tasting and healthier for you than tap water.

Here's a good comparison to put things in perspective. In Philadelphia, a gallon of the city's tap water will cost you a half cent. After Coca-Cola Bottling Co. filters that same water and bottles it, a half gallon bottle of Dasani will run you $1.59.

Cha-ching!

(And no, I couldn't find a reason to blame George Bush for this, but I'm working on it.)