Why do people buy so much bottled water at the grocery store?

[Anonymous]

I see people with 5-10 cases regularly. Are there areas in the DMV where tap water is not safe?

[Anonymous]

The District provides lead in the drinking water for free.

https://www.tapwaterdata.com/blog/cities/dc-water-lead-reduction-2025

[Anonymous]

Conditioned via mass suggestive hypnosis.

Everyone use to laugh at the idiot who carried around a plastic bottle of drinking water in the 1990s. Even mineral water was considered excessive and pretentious then.

Now you see mindless handing out of bottles of tap water from WalMart, and people take a sip then waste the rest, but carry that bottle around like a baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Conditioned via mass suggestive hypnosis.

Everyone use to laugh at the idiot who carried around a plastic bottle of drinking water in the 1990s. Even mineral water was considered excessive and pretentious then.

Now you see mindless handing out of bottles of tap water from WalMart, and people take a sip then waste the rest, but carry that bottle around like a baby.

Others (or maybe it was you) have discussed American (women) and water bottles: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1296644.page

[Anonymous]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1296644.page

[Anonymous]

Plastic bottles are such a waste. People at Costco! Go over and tell them not to buy

[Anonymous]

They probably prefer the taste to tap. DH says Crystal Geyser>Arrowhead/TJ/Kirkland>tap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Conditioned via mass suggestive hypnosis.

Everyone use to laugh at the idiot who carried around a plastic bottle of drinking water in the 1990s. Even mineral water was considered excessive and pretentious then.

Now you see mindless handing out of bottles of tap water from WalMart, and people take a sip then waste the rest, but carry that bottle around like a baby.

Others (or maybe it was you) have discussed American (women) and water bottles: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1296644.page

Interesting thread. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

For events. We don't buy them to drink at home, but occasionally for a kid's party or school event we need a LOT. I was at a cultural event yesterday where the organizers had been asking for cases of water donated. So if I see someone buying a lot, I don't assume it's an issue with their tap water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see people with 5-10 cases regularly. Are there areas in the DMV where tap water is not safe?

I am about to buy a bunch of bottled water.

Fairfax Water had a multi-hour outage in our neighborhood within the last 10 days. We needed water to refill toilets as well as to wash hands and for drinking/cooking. When FW is working, we use that and do not consume bottled water.

[Anonymous]

I really like water, and that’s what I drink most of the time. I buy water for the taste like some people buy wine or coffee.
The water in my condo doesn’t taste good, and, about twice a year, it can taste really horrible. Brita and Pur filters make it better, but not as good as a $2 gallon of spring water. I buy the smaller bottles occasionally too, when I’d rather have lighter disposable bottles vs a heavier metal bottle to carry around. I also worked in a setting where lead was found in the drinking water, so I’d rather have access to water from a reasonably known source. Every now and then, I spring for the good stuff in glass bottles.

[Anonymous]

I think some shoppers from Costco resale them at small shops.

[Anonymous]

It is odd! Our next door neighbors (we live in a UMC DC suburb) use exclusively bottled water for their drinking water. My kid goes to play there all the time and is so confused. So much plastic waste. It’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

Zombie apocalypse prep. Duh.

[Anonymous]

It’s convenient. You can hand them out to the landscapers, the guests, the person heading out the door, etc.