Thanks, watterstide, for the link to the article, but it says the same things most similar articles say and neglects to state these facts:
1. Bottled tap water is good tap water. For those of us who don't have good tap water, it's worth the cost.
2. The study that checked for health issues in tap water only checked for bacteria, e. coli. It didn't even mention other health problems. Face it, chlorine is not good to be ingesting day in and day out. And then there are trace metals that can be poisonous, and environmental wastes that don't get cleaned out (remember Erin Brockovich?), etc.
3. For those who buy bottled water as an alternative to sodapop or other sugary drinks or energy drinks, it's a good choice.
4. Articles like this constantly talk about most bottled water being tap water, but some of it is specifically from pure sources, like mountain springs. And then there's distilled water, which is pure enough to be used medically.
5. Quality among bottles varies, too. The smaller ones are cutting back on the thickness of their plastic to be more environmentally friendly. Even when we're not drinking from bottles, we often drink out of plastic cups.
For the person who mentioned bottled water not having fluoride in it, check the babies aisle of the supermarket or drugstore. There are special brands that contain fluoride.
Not that I'm advocating fluoridated or even bottled water. If you have good tap or well water, that's really the thing to use, IMO. But if you don't, then it's important to filter it or use bottled.