Bottled Water Discarded for Purified Tap

The growing backlash against bottled water as an environmental abomination is stretching into some of NYC's premiere eating and drinking establishments. Ten years ago it was the de rigeur of fashion to be toting a bottle of water everywhere one went; now it marks you as a polluting pariah. According to the New York Post, bottled water is being banned at places like the Waverly Inn, Il Buco, Del Posto, Gemma in the Bowery Hotel, Bobo, Gusto Organics and Broadway East.

But for those who were too embarrassed to simply choose tap water when asked by a waiter instead of a $12 bottle of Pellegrino, never fear. These restaurants will now offer diners the option of ordering tap water that has been specially filtered on the premises-- through filtration systems that can cost more than $10,000--for $5 or $6 dollars a glass. It seems just like the other week that $5 for a glass of soda seemed outrageous.

The growing trend in restaurants is a natural extension of the backlash against bottled water. The Park Slope Food Co-Op will be voting soon to ban the sale of bottled water in its store, and many corporations are installing their own filtration systems in the name of being green. Also, the sales of home water filters like Brita are reportedly surging.

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By Dave Hogarty in News on April 6, 2008 10:20 AM

Comments [rss]

Chimbles

Snoopy, I bet she found that Pellegrino bottle in the garbage somewhere and fills it up with tap just to look sophisticated. You should have acted all impressed and asked her to for a sip.

Snoopy

I was at a local pub today for brunch and some a'hole broad came in with her own quart bottle of Pellegrino bottled water and every two minutes she would screw off the cap, take a sip and screw the cap back on while jibbering away with her "fiance." I was ready to throw her out, but I didn't because I don't work for the place. What next bring your own wine and scotch?

The whole bottled water craze started with Perrier and its association as being "so European." It SUCKS!

We use bottled water at our weekend place in farm country out in PA because of all the possibility of contamination by the raw manure and chemicals spread on the surrounding fields, but not here in the city because the water is fine except for the occasional flush backs the DEP does when they fuck up.

Såkandulæredet

I don't understand why people can't just refill the bottles until they are too beat up to re-use.

TKaisen

I never got the bottled water thing. However, if you pay $5 for a glass of tap water, you're retarded.

pissyrabbit

I demand that restaurants do not filter the run off anti-depressants out of my water!

blablanyc

I can't believe people are afraid to use tap water. There isn't anything wrong with it.

Chimbles

How convenient, now I can pay Pellegrino price for tap water... now I just hope they do something about all that free air I'm getting at a restaurant... maybe a little surcharge is in order!

juniper19

Unfortunately my favorite local pizza place, Pizza 33 on 33rd and 3rd, didn't get the memo and has recently started refusing to serve tap water.

cucarachita

I have had my own filter at home for the last five years, since I realized how much money I was wasting on bottled water. Not to mention how much carrying bottles home from the supermarket made my back ache.

When you don't have a car, and have to carry your own groceries home, bottled water seems stupid very early on.

sinisterteashop

Makes me very happy... as does every environmental trend that saves me money.

Nick S

some more business owners making a buck off of well-meaning people. when the "environmentalist" fad dies off, everyone is going to point back to stuff like this to prove that the main motivation behind the movement was greed.