People pay a great deal of money for software when there is often an open source alternative for free. There is, quite literally, an ‘open source’ of tap water in most kitchens but people spend more than $7 billion annually on something that would cost less than $1M if they used the open source.
This month’s skeptic has some great trivia on the ultimate scam: selling bottled water in countires where the ‘open source’ is just fine…
“25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle–sometimes further treated, sometimes not. If the label says ‘from a municipal source’ or ‘from a community water system,’ it’s tap water. “
“[the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s] bottled water quality standards are the same as [the Environmental Protection Agency’s] tap water standards.”
but…
“bottled water is subject to less rigorous purity standards and less frequent tests for bacteria and chemical contaminants than those required of tap water”
“Both companies [Coke and Pepsi] charge more for their plain water than for their sugar water.”
“the Showtime television series Penn & Teller: Bullshit! The hosts began with a blind comparison in which 75 percent of New Yorkers preferred city tap to bottled waters.”
Scientific American: Bottled Twaddle — Is bottled water tapped out?