RECIPE FOR SUCCESS:Is bottled water really better?

I miss the days when I could drink a glass of water from the tap without hesitation. Walk down the beverage aisle of any grocery store and the choices for water are mind boggling. A Google search on “bottled water” turned up 2,550,000 sites.

Newport Beach recently mailed a glossy “2007 Water Quality Report” trying to convince us their water is the best. The Irvine Ranch Water District, also serving parts of Newport, sends out a zippy little newsletter with its bills every month touting how wonderful their water is.

Having two homes in Newport, my water bill from the city is considerably higher than my water bill from Irvine Ranch Water District.

Water is a guaranteed vote getter, otherwise would local elected officials take every opportunity to remind us how much they’re doing for water quality? Isn’t that part of their job to safeguard our natural resources? Why brag about something you’re supposed to be doing anyway?

Arrowhead was “in” now it’s “out.” It’s now the Honda Center where the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup so I guess I don’t have to buy Arrowhead anymore.

I’ve been drinking Smart Water, but I don’t feel any smarter. Jennifer Aniston is the pitch woman so I’ll keep drinking it; she looks pretty smart to me.

Vitamin Water claims to be “A healthier alternative” and now that Gangsta Rapper 50 Cent is the spokesperson, I wouldn’t argue with that claim.

BlingH2O comes in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted glass bottle and a case of 12 is only $480.

Voss Still Artesian Water claims “A sip of Voss is like drinking fresh air.” Does air have a taste? Maybe if you live in Los Angeles.

Liquid Salvation Ultra Hydrating Water “is your best defense against the evil effects of dehydration (also know as a hangover).” They’re obviously marketing to the alcoholic population. So is bottled water healthier? Tap water is actually subject to more stringent regulations than bottled water in the United States and Europe. Bottled water consumption has more than doubled globally in the last six years according to a new U.S. study.

“Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy,” according to Emily Arnold, author of the study published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based environmental group. “Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year.”

The Container Recycling Institute says, “86 percent of plastic water bottles in the United States end up as garbage and buried can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.”

So what is the best recipe for success in the water game?

Just like designer shoes, brands of bottled water go in and out of sheik, and in fashion conscious Newport Beach, will you choose tap, or the latest in bottled water this summer?