Paying attention, now? Good, because the unadulterated bottled water facts should make you feel foolish if you frequently buy bottled water.

I know I am being a bit harsh but if you purchase bottled water and then compare bottled water vs. tap water vs. filtered water you're gonna feel like the schlub who was sold the foot-long hot dog with eight inches missing in the middle.

Ok, just ask yourself this question. Why are you buying bottled water?

Here are your potential replies:

1. It's safer and healthier than tap water

When comparing bottled water vs. tap water, well, that's just one of the fairy tales accepted as factually correct about bottled water.

Here's what the Food and Drug Administration in the United States declared concerning the safety of bottled water:

Companies that market bottled water as being safer than faucet water are fooling the American people.

In point of fact, there are no governmental regulations for bottled water that require it be safer than tap water. Governmental standards for home water are in place and commonly assure some degree of quality in the available faucet water.

So, when deciding upon getting bottled water vs. tap water, choosing tap may be the best choice.

2. Oh, I drink bottled water that's filtered

Most bottled water is not purified. In contrast, city tap water is purified and disinfected.

But if you happen to be chugging bottled water that is filtered, good for you. If it's the product I sometimes go for, I am pretty sure the price is even higher than the cheaper bottled water.

But there is still a problem. Filtration is not all the same. Very good filters get rid of the live, very life-threatening contaminants, the inert, extremely toxic metals, extremely tiny pollutants and the sediment that affects taste and quality of the water.

There are cheaper water filters that essentially get rid of bigger sedimentary particles that slightly discolor water but honestly do little else. Most commercially filtered water tends to improve water on the cheap.

3. Since it's a food product, there are governmental standards that assure its quality

Nope, not really. In fact, a strategy used by bottled water companies is to sell its water inside the state that it's bottled in so that federal regulations are not applicable.

In fact, between 2/3 to 3/4 of the bottled water sold is in the state it's bottled in. Most likely you are drinking water with no affiliated federal regulations to assure its safety.

4. It's better than the usual drinks sold at the deli

Well, that's a tricky one. Its better than the genuinely bad drinks. You know the colas, mile-high iced teas and fake fruit drinks that are in plenty of kid's lunch bags.

But, if you went to a health food store, you can in all likelihood pick up some fresh fruit/veggie juice, or a sprout-based beverage, really healthy water and so on. I will admit, that it might cost an arm and a leg but what's your health worth to you?

5. It's pretty cheap

Compared to what? Some trendy beverage, maybe. Not when comparing bottled water vs. tap water that is filtered ($1 - $2 vs 9 cents) but it's about the same cost as the soft drinks that litter shop shelves.

To me, this is one of the most puzzling aspects of the bottled water market.

We are happy that we are being offered what is essentially free tap water for a dollar or so per bottle. Think of it. If you bought a bottle on most days and 2 bottles or bigger ones on days that you need more, you would be paying between $300 - $700 per year on water that is less safe than tap water.

6. It's convenient

Oh, please. I've done the math on this because, like you, my time is very precious.

It takes me a minute to fill up my water bottle with filtered water from my tap. I can even make a sandwich in just a few minutes. That is much easier and quicker than the time required to sprint to the store, maybe wait on a noon lunch line, order and/or pay for my water and/or lunch.

7. I have no better option to bottled water

Again, if you are likely to chug cola, yes. But you don't have to have the bottled water from the store when you could just bottle your own filtered water in a reusable bottle.

8)Hey, at least it forces me to drink the requisite amount of water I should drink every day

Finally, I agree with you, mostly. Hey, if it's a choice between drinking nothing and getting dehydration or downing expensive, land polluting, minimally safe bottled water, maybe you should go ahead and get a container of water.

This should only happen occasionally. For example, if I'm working out in warm weather and there's no water fountain nearby, I'll just go and get a bottle of water from wherever.

It's either that or deal with the more severe consequences of dehydration in warm weather. That could lead to all types of health crises that must be avoided at all costs.

And, I'll give you credit because at least you didn't say that it's "Green." That, I'm sure, never crossed your mind. Right?

9. It's green, right?

This is one of the bottled water facts we haven't delved into that you should know about. Drinking bottled water causes an unbelievable amount of pollution.

In fact, about a million plastic bottles are disposed of daily, it is one of the major culprits when it comes to pollution.

Imagine, what literally a hundred million empty plastic water bottles looks like, going straight for the landfill. You know, generally the fill that is not recycle-ready since many water bottles are disposed of in all-purpose wastebaskets along with non-recyclables.

So, if for no other reason, the pollution that follows from this mega consumption of drinking bottled water should lead us to other alternatives.

Ok, so perhaps those of you purchasing bottled water from the store aren't really losers but I hope this article encourages you to act on the real bottled water facts and stop getting bottled water which has serious drawbacks and few virtues.