Seattle Water: Rethink the drink

Anyone who has spent time in other countries or, heck, other states, with less drinkable tap water can attest to the fact that our city's tap water is far from sub par. Yet we seem to be addicted to bottled water, piling 350,000 small, petroleum-based plastic water bottles into trash or recycling bins each day.

Last summer, San Francisco passed a resolution banning city employees from spending tax dollars on bottled water, and our city employees are following that example (sort of), but Seattle officials are encouraging the rest of us to drink what comes out of the tap, preferably in reusable bottles or flasks.

No one's talking about banning bottled water -- sometimes, it's a necessity, not just a convenience. But we've come to rely on the ubiquitous bottles far too often, so much so that bottles are almost designed to accessorize an outfit or a lifestyle.

While the quality of our city's water is pretty high and far better than most cities, it's understandable that some might be concerned about what's coming through their taps (although bottled waters are far from perfect).

If the possibility of taking in too many impurities from the city's tap water worries you, you can install a water filtration system on the tap of your kitchen sink, or purchase one of those filters that installs inside a pitcher.

Besides, this is another necessary step needed to reduce the amount of waste we create. Simply expanding our recycling program isn't a justification to keep producing more waste.