Would you pay $55 for bottlesould water?

[Guest guest]

 

Would you pay $55 for bottled water?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's the most you would pay for a bottle

of water? Two dollars? Maybe $4 at a concert? How about $55?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

 

 

Bling H20 -- the new (expensive) bottled water

 

 

 

 

 

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as

a bottle of water that costs $55. Kevin Boyd, a writer and producer from

Hollywood, has developed a " luxury " bottled water called Bling H2O that costs an

average of $55. Depending on the size, prices can range anywhere from $25 to as

much as $75. What's so special about Bling H2O that makes it so expensive? Is

the water treated differently than the bottled water you buy at the gas

station? Does it at least come with vitamins?

 

Unfortunately, you won't find any vitamins

in Bling H2O. The water inside, however, does receive more treatment than

what's inside an average $2 plastic bottle. According to Bling H2O's Web site,

the water is bottled from natural springs in Dandridge, Tenn. The company

claims to use a " nine step purification process that includes ozone,

ultraviolet and microfiltration. " This sounds nice, but still -- does that

really make it worth $55?

 

 

Take one look at the bottle itself -- it can

answer any of your questions about cost. True to its trendy name, a bottle of

Bling H2O is much more than a plastic container to hold mere water. The bottles

are available in limited-edition frosted glasses and covered with Swarovski

crystals. Even Bling H2O's Web site admits that the product is as much about image as it

is taste. The company originally handed out the water only to actors and

athletes -- celebrities such as Jamie Foxx and Ben Stiller have been spotted

showing off shiny bottles, and Paris Hilton allegedly feeds the water to her dog. Now, the water is

available to the public and showing up in fancy New York restaurants.

The makers of Bling H2O also market the bottle as reusable and refillable --

you can flaunt it around town and show how trendy and environmentally friendly

you are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bling Taste Test

Blind taste tests in New York City put Bling H2O up against

regular bottled water and Manhattan tap water. The reactions proved to be

inconsistent and unpredictable -- most people proclaimed Manhattan tap water

as the best-tasting, while Bling H2O was believed to be simple tap water.

Watch this amusing video of the taste test from NPR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even wi­thout the cost that comes from the

decorative bottle and its associated brand, Bling H20 would still be expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottled Water Cost

 

 

 

If you got rid of the fancy Bling H2O bottle and lowered the

price, would it still be worth it? What about the " regular " plastic

bottles of water you find in the store? Are they even worth $2?

 

 

Bottled water has become so popular that 41

billion gallons are consumed every year around the world. Many people consider

it safe and convenient. Over the past few years, however, many bottled water

companies labeling their product as " purified " or " natural

spring water " have confessed to filling their products with simple tap

water. In July 2007, for instance, Pepsi admitted to filling bottles of

Aquafina with public water, even though the packaging suggests the water comes

from natural springs [source: Environmental Working Group]. Recent studies

have concluded that bottled water is no safer than tap water, and the costs of

producing the drink and its effect on the environment have caused some alarm

[source: National Geographic News].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Critics point out the resources and

waste that are

byproducts of bottled water.

 

 

 

 

 

To understand how expensive regular bottled water is, let's

compare it with gasoline. With the price of oil rising, we typically think of gasoline as

very expensive. On the other hand, some of us will barely blink an eye at

picking up a few bottles of water from the same gas station. Here are the

numbers:

 

A gallon of gas costs around $3. If we assume a one-liter

bottle of water from the store costs about $2.50, a gallon of the same bottled

water should cost about $10. Water, life's most necessary substance, costs

about three times more than gasoline when it comes in a plastic bottle. If you

wanted to fill up a car's 15-gallon tank with gasoline, it would cost you about

$45. If you wanted to fill up that same 15-gallon tank with bottled water, it

would cost you $150 [source: National Geographic News].

 

 

Tap water, on the other hand, costs a fraction of the price

of bottled water. The same $2 you spend on a liter of bottled water will get

you about 1,000 gallons of tap water [source: EPA].

 

 

So, even though it's cheaper than Bling H20, bottled water

is still expensive. Next, we'll take a look at some of the other products on

the market that seem to cost more than they're worth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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