Post By: Aimee Jiang, International Student Support Officer 2022
If you start typing into a google search bar “Why is California tap water so….” the first suggestions are bad and taste gross. Many living here will agree that while the tap water is suitable for cooking, showering, brushing your teeth, and safe to drink but it does not taste great. So how do we stay hydrated and not be using one-time use plastics on such a regular basis?
My first suggestion is to get a reusable metal water bottle. There are water fountains around campus and the majority of those water fountains have bottle refilling stations. You can find water bottles all over California but I will put a few of my favorites below (if you have kids? Many of these bottles also have smaller sizes meant for small children).
- My newest favorite is the Owala FreeSip. I have both the 24oz and 32oz sizes. This bottle has a cap that locks over the mouth. You have a straw but also an option to sip. The bottles come in a variety of colors and I add stickers to make it easy to identify. You can find them at Target (currently 24.99 for the 24oz), Walmart (currently 21.99 for the 24oz), and Amazon (currently 21.99 for the 24oz).
- Brita makes a water bottle that has a filter in it so you can add water from faucets around campus or your home and have clean and better-tasting water just from your bottle. Their double-wall stainless steel insulated filtered water bottle is currently 29.99 for a 20oz at Target but they have a variety of styles and options that you can find at Target, on Amazon, or at Walmart.
- Takeya has some great options and I have one of their insulated bottles that I used for tea. One of the things I love about their bottles, other than the fun colors, is that they have a larger variety of shapes, sizes, and tops to their bottles. I have found good deals on their bottles and mugs at Target, Amazon, and Walmart.
- I’ve had other friends and family members who love their Hydroflask bottles, Yeti bottles, and Ello bottles so it is really about finding the best option for your needs and lifestyle.
My second suggestion is to find an option for filtering your water at home. There are options to add filtration systems to sinks but in rental apartments this isn’t always an option so I will include the options I have personally used in my apartments.
- Brita. Not only does Brita make a filtering water bottle but they are well known for having water filtering pitchers that you can keep on a counter or in a fridge. They come in a variety of fun colors, sizes, and styles. One of my favorites was the extra large dispenser which I could keep in my fridge and be able to fill my water bottle without taking the pitcher out of the fridge. There are other brands like LifeStraw that make a similar product but I haven’t tried those yet so I can’t give a recommendation. You can also find these options at Target, Amazon, and Walmart.
- I have used a Faucet Mounted Water Filtration system but they are bulky on your sink and can slow down the speed at which water comes out. They also don’t work on all faucets so in some apartments I’ve not been able to use them. If you prefer this type of filtration, I would double-check what kind of faucet your apartment has before purchasing.
- Another option is delivery services for water jugs or taking jugs to water filling stations. If you don’t have a car, I would not suggest taking water to filling stations as carrying that back would be really difficult. You can check online for options for delivery.
- Currently, at my home, we use a more expensive option but have found it has been easier than the options above that we previously used. We have an Avalon A5-C Point-of-Use Water Cooler and Hot Water Filtration System. We got ours at Costco for around $200, and it came with an extra filter set. It is more expensive at the start but long term we have saved money and time. We purchased this last year and go through a lot of water (our cats even get filtered water now) but we only recently had to change the filter. For this one, we hook up to our sink and then use the system to dispense, hot, cold, and/or chilled water. They have a more expensive countertop version available now that would save space as one of the downfalls of this system is the space it takes up in your house.
I hope this has helped give you some ideas on what you would want to do to be more eco-friendly but still enjoy fresh water to keep you hydrated in this California heat!