Well, well, well…Aquafina bottled water will soon be sporting labels disclosing their source – the good ‘ol tap! Whaddaya know. The bottled water industry has become so lucrative – $15 billion in sales in the U.S. alone – that major beverage players, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co., have their own brands, Aquafina and Dasani respectively, which they push on the American public.

C’mon Campos, take it easy – consumers have a choice don’t they? Not always. Try this sometime: Walk into a gas station convenience store, or in my neighborhood, the local Rite Aid, and you’ll see nothing but Aquafina. Hmmm….

Want to know why? It’s simple – here’s what they say: Carry our water exclusively or kiss Pepsi, Mug Root Beer, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Slice, Lipton Ice Tea, and all the other liquid sugar drinks goodbye. Well, if Mountain Dew is your big seller, then you’ll carry Aquafina. I mean, it’s just water, right? Who the heck is going to know the difference?

Well now you do. Aquafina, Dasani, and any other bottled water that labels its source as municipal water is selling you tap water, plain and simple. True, it’s filtered tap water, which has already been previously filtered by the municipalities, but okay, it’s filtered again. But does that make it worth MORE than gasoline. That’s right, in some instances when you buy those brands (i.e., movie theaters, sports arenas, concerts), you are paying more than you do for gas.

That doesn’t mean all bottled water is a rip off. Natural spring water – like Arrowhead and Sparkletts – is different. It comes from naturally occurring springs and it’s also filtered and taken through the purifying process. It’s overpriced too, but at least it’s more than what you can get out of your home faucet. Yeah, I’ll drink Aquafina occasionally, like when I’m in a pinch, you know – need water, no other options available. Oh well, let me just go ahead and get the liquid jack. However, if I have the option, it’s always spring water. Or you can just buy a washer safe plastic sports bottle and fill it up yourself, if you can remember to pack it. But never, ever refill your Arrowhead bottle – it’s a breeding ground for bacteria. Other than that, if you don’t mind paying hard earned cash for water coming from some factory faucet, well…it’s your money.