Exposing the bottled water sham

It's about time this happened:

The label on Aquafina water bottles will soon be changed to spell out that the drink comes from the same source as tap water, the brand's owner PepsiCo said today.

A group called Corporate Accountability International has been pressuring bottled water sellers to curb what it calls misleading marketing practices.

Aquafina is the single biggest bottled water brand, and its bottles are now labeled "P.W.S." The new labels will spell out "public water source."

"If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do," PepsiCo spokeswoman Michelle Naughton said today.

Bottled water is basically tap water packaged in plastic. Drinking the water that comes out of your tap (especially here in the Northwest, which has an excellent system that is relatively clean and safe) is a healthier and more environmentally friendly practice. If you like your water chilled and further purified you can buy a BRITA or similar pitcher for your refrigerator.