The Last Word

Great taste, more expensive.

That pretty much sums up the struggle about whether to buy bottled

water or just turn the faucet and swig from the sink.

And it appears that a high number of Latinos in Costa Mesa are going

with the costlier taste of bottled water. For proof, you can look at the

shops dotted on the Westside that sell a gallon of water for a quarter or

so.

The trend struck officials at Mesa Consolidated Water District, as you

might suspect. Why would people spend extra money, especially if the

dollars are scarce, on something they can get for just pennies?

Perhaps it was lingering concerns from native lands, where the water

that trickles from the tap isn’t exactly safe and healthy. So Mesa

Consolidated worked hard to get the word out that tap water here in the

States is safe.

But a bit of reporting found another reason. It turns out that, like

an over-aerobicized Hollywood starlet, most just have an Evian taste when

it comes to their water.

And for them, bottled is better.