52x52: Drink Tap Water

52 random acts of kindness that each take under 52 seconds. One action each week, over a year takes less than an hour of your life.

We may drink tea, coffee, soft drinks/sodas, alcohol or juices. They all have water at their base and all usually cost more than water. Although on a recent trip to Cuba there were times when I was surprised that bottled water cost more than rum! 

We live in a world when we have so much 'on tap' that we can forget some of the basics like water, that we are privileged enough to actually have coming from our taps in our homes. Drinking tap water is not just a benefit to our health it is a demonstration of our awareness of the commercialisation of our need to hydrate, whether in the form of cafes and pubs or the cans and bottles creation of addictions to sugar, caffeine and alcohol. It doesn't have to be forever...nobody is saying that like a vegetarian, you have to avoid the other completely. Just to be aware and drink more tap water, ask for it, drink it and promote it for the greater good.

Ten Reasons to Switch to Tap Water:

1. If we are lucky enough to live somewhere where we have clean water on tap, we should appreciate not having to walk miles to a well or river to get water we can't trust.
2. Tap water is free - so you don't waste money and spend that saved money on better things
3. The brain works better hydrated, so you are better able to cope and will be a better citizen
4. Tap water is healthy so you will live longer, and the longer you live the more you can do
5. Fluoride in tap water makes stronger teeth making a better smile
6. Tap water is not contributing to mega-industry drinks companies which are selling sodas and making money in areas of the world where there is no clean water
7. Water treatment is more environmentally friendly than other drink industries, creating less container waste, industry energy and disposal related destruction of environment (and as water treatment is already taken for granted as a base element of much of the drinks industry anything else done to it is on top of that).
8. Obesity can be caused by drinking high calorie drinks - tap water has no calories
9. Diabetes can be caused by sugary drinks - tap water has no sugar
10. Drinking tap water is a good example to children and creates good habits early

According to WaterAid 650 million people live without safe water. 

PS. Licenced establishments in the UK are required to provide free tap water by law...ie. anywhere you can be served with alcoholl you can get free water!