A growing number of people say we should reconsider our consumption of bottled water versus tap water from municipal providers. They cite the expense and environmental costs to the planet and consumers.

More than 25 billion plastic bottles were sold in the United States in 2006 which required millions of barrels of oil to make and transport, and produced tons of carbon dioxide. Most of these bottles are not recycled. While some people pay a couple of dollars for a few fluid ounces of imported bottled water, you usually can get hundreds of gallons of tap water for that amount.