" Gregg -- if you mean that competition they have every year at the State Fair, that's a consumer-rated TASTE test -- has little to do with the actual QUALITY of the water -- what's in it or not. "

" What I meant (and for once was trying to be brief) was that you get the same kind of variety in bottled water as tap water -- some bottled waters are treated or better waters, just as some tap water is better than others. I've lived in several places where the water was polluted with e-coli and undrinkable (at least one of these places had a drilled well too) Some places the water would be fine healthwise, but it smells so bad no one wants to drink it. As you point out, if you buy water from a place like Culligan (as opposed to just off the grocery store shelves), you know the water has been treated. But spring water is just ground water from a spring and the quality is only as good as what's flowing into the spring they day they drew the water out. One company (and now I can't remember which) recently admitted their bottled water just comes from the tap.

So, you pay for what you could have free (varied quality and all) if you just pick up something off the grocery shelves, AND you are contributing to environmental waste at both ends (production and disposal) AND you may be helping some corporation suck the aquifer out of some other community somewhere for their own profit.

A water treatment service, like Culligan, is a different matter.

And I am completely with you on the subject of bad things in our tap water -- things for which they don't test, which includes pharmaceuticals among other things; also caffeine (which isn't good for those of us who aren't supposed to have it). But that stuff will be in your bottled water as well -- it didn't fall pure from the Heavens just to go into a bottle! -- I wonder if even Culligan can get things like that out of the water with their "reverse osmosis" process.... "

" I thought Auburn's water was rated the best tasting/best water in the whole state? I think it tastes perfectly fine to me. And if people don't like it, get a Britta filter...Bottled water is the most dumbest thing in the world. "

" Dear sick, you smoke cigs but worry about tap water ruining your health? Auburn's water is so bad for you but your butts will kill you much quicker. Think before you speak. It tends to not insult your intelligence so much that way. "

" Do you honestly know that you got sick from the water? You didn't eat or drink anything else during that particular day that could have made you sick? You weren't exposed to other people and their germs? Chemicals? After having grown up with ridiculously hard water, I personally enjoy Auburn's water. "

" i drink a lot of water during the day ill never drink auburn water the last time i did i got sick ill get it from the store like i been doing. "

" Farmers's gal needs to get her facts straight. Not all bottled water is "just what you get out of the tap". While some water is exactly that, if you read the label, water, such as Culligan bottled water, is R/O water, treated thru reverse osmosis- which you can have home equipment installed on your tap and then it would be "just what you get out of the tap". Have a professional test your water sometime, even with municipal water you will be surprised what you are drinking. I understand the economic impact, the environmental impact, and I also know that many of the good people that work at Roswell Cancer center drink R/O water. "

" where do you think they get the bottled water from --lake erie "

" Let's not also forget the communities out of which those big corporations suck up all the water in the aquifer so they can charge for it and leave the locals with not enough water. Barnstead, NH fought Nestle on this and is winning, but be careful about your own water or someone will take it all, then charge to sell it back to you.

Bottled water is just water that comes out of the ground in some other community -- no higher quality than what you can get from your tap -- it's all just marketing. "

" i love bottled water so there for i will drink it. hey i live in auburn and are water sucks big time i will not drink this crap i stay with the bottled water thank you. "