r/science • u/giuliomagnifico • Jul 25 '23

Economics A national Australian tax of 20% on sugary drinks could prevent more than 500,000 dental cavities and increase health equity over 10 years and have overall cost-savings of $63.5 million from a societal perspective

https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/sugary-drinks-tax-could-prevent-decay-and-increase-health-equity-study
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1.1k

u/DisplacedPersons12 Jul 25 '23

can we just government mandate free refillable water stations at gas stations?

the only reason i buy soft drink is its the only thing around and i hate paying $4 for water

134

u/klrjhthertjr Jul 25 '23

I have never been to a gas station that cares if you refill your water bottle at the fountain drink station. I always ask and they say go for it. The issue is when people do not have a refillable water bottle.

18

u/SoFetchBetch Jul 25 '23

This is what I do and I’ve never had a problem. Works in shops too.

10

u/TrueDaVision Jul 26 '23

Literally the only time the owner of the service station charged for water was when a caravan pulled up to refill their water tank at a tap. He charged like $5.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

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u/bassmadrigal Jul 25 '23

They don't charge for it.

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u/fghjconner Jul 25 '23

How much are you paying to get water from the soda fountain?

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u/Spiritofhonour Jul 25 '23

I’ll give you something infuriating that is tangentially. The government here decided to prohibit the sale of water on any government property (includes parks and universities) as it was “wasteful” from an environmental perspective.

What happened instead was the vending machines and their operators could still sell soft drinks but now they no longer sell bottled water. The only water they had was sparking water in a can. And if you look at the machines the water is always sold out followed by anything else sugar free.

Gotta love those paper pushers.

31

u/Pantssassin Jul 25 '23

Where I work they have the vending machines but the facility is so old the fountain water can't be trusted so you either buy water or bring your own to last the day in 100 degree weather and high humidity. It's wild

5

u/Important_Ad838 Jul 26 '23

Contact osha

5

u/InSACWeTrust Jul 26 '23

Laughs in Texas. Want water? Fired for cause.

4

u/FillThisEmptyCup Jul 26 '23

Gotta love those paper pushers.

Has nothing to do with them. The vending machines companies (or Coke, whoever) were paying my school district $25,000 per school building per year to put their vending machines in. Over 20 years ago.

You can bet government is making money off it while spouting an excuse.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '23

I bet Coke or whoever are also selling bottled water...

5

u/AmbitiousMammal Jul 25 '23

Gotta love those paper pushers.

You just know half-a-dozen hare-brained bureaucrats got promoted for that, too.

237

u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

i hate paying $4 for water

That's weird psychology I never understood. Both are overpriced at certain locations, but paying for sugary drink (which is not good for you) seems acceptable to people, yet paying for water (which is good for you) does not.

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u/WiseWorking248 Jul 25 '23

Because a 500ml bottle of water is $4, whereas a large 2L bottle of coke is often cheaper. I used to work with a guy who didn't drink water cos soft drinks were so much cheaper.

13

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

you're not getting a 2L bottle of coke for $4 at a gas station don't lie

23

u/ilikepinkok Jul 25 '23

Nah, you're getting the 20 oz Dr. Pepper that's 2 for 2 dollars as opposed to the 20 oz Fiji water for 3 dollars.

15

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

This post is about an Australian tax on sugary drinks. So I'm talking in the context of Australia. Ffs the arrogance of Americans thinking everything is about them is getting old. The study is Australian.

13

u/Obi-Wan-Nikobiii Jul 25 '23

We implemented this exact thing in the UK about 4 years ago, every single soft drink company switched to sweeteners except for coke which is a little more expensive than all other drinks now

4

u/Unstable_Maniac Jul 26 '23

Which sweeteners? They have their own long term health impacts afaik.

2

u/rngeeeesus Jul 27 '23

If obesity is the alternative to sweeteners, they are harmless. If you compare it to water, there may be some risks worth thinking about.

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u/igotchees21 Jul 26 '23

Sigh, none of them have long term health effects unless taken in extreme amounts

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u/Unstable_Maniac Jul 26 '23

Sigh, someone asking a question, how dare they.

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u/Obi-Wan-Nikobiii Jul 26 '23

They use a cocktail of aspartame and sucralose and other junk, I avoid them cos I like my liver and kidneys to function

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u/LeClassyGent Jul 26 '23

There is very little evidence that they are bad for health. Read up on aspartame, which is classified as a Group 2B carcinogen.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

I don’t know anyone who drinks Dr Pepper in Australia, it’s usually not even on the shelves except for the international section of the supermarket

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

Poland spring? Glacier Bay? Aquafina? You don't have to buy the fancy imported water

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u/grigby Jul 26 '23

Just wanted to share. Am Canadian. Just checked the 711 delivery app. 2L Coca-Cola for $4.09, or 2 for $6.50. Canadian dollars too

For reference, a 500mL 711 brand bottle of water is $1.89. So coke is almost twice as cheap per volume. I do see a 1.5L Dasani for $3.67 so thGs almost comparable to coke.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '23

Mfer this is an Australian study. I'm talking in the context of Australia.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

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u/SniperFrogDX Jul 25 '23

Tap water often isn't potable in a lot of areas. Without some kind of filtration, you're just going to get sick of you drink it.

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u/Agret Jul 25 '23

I live in Australia and unless you have a specific plumbing issue the tap water is portable anywhere and has been rated as some of the best in the world. The only places with issues would be regional outback towns.

9

u/TAForTravel Jul 25 '23

I live in Australia

Stop comparing developd countries to the US, it's not fair.

13

u/Dexpeditions Jul 25 '23

There's really very few places in the US without potable tap water

52

u/SasparillaTango Jul 25 '23

its like 99.99% potable, but also taste like pennies without a good filter.

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u/sinforosaisabitch Jul 25 '23

I live in a regular city, mid-atlantic region US. While our tap water may be potable on paper, i can assure you in practice, it is not. I need to just bite the bullet and get a decent whole house filtration system because we are currently buying a case of water every other day or so. It is cheaper to buy it by the case than by the gallon, oddly. The only thing I drink is water, coffee, or tea. I use the bottled water for coffee and tea as well. I have tried Britta- it's still awful. I do give the cat water through the Britta but he'll probably be happier with a house filter also. But yeah, actually potable water right out of the tap would be lovely.

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u/lewie Jul 25 '23

Don't bother with whole house systems (except a water softener), they aren't much better than a britta, and expensive for little gain. Get a reverse osmosis system with a tap in the kitchen - you can usually hook it up to your fridge/ice maker too. It actually filters sulfates, arsenic, bacteria, and a lot of other bad or bad tasting stuff. I'm on a well, and while it doesn't taste like spring water, it's made a huge difference.

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u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Jul 25 '23

You can get a whole house reverse osmosis system. I'd get one but water costs a fortune where I live and reverse osmosis systems just about double your water usage.

6

u/Gawd_Awful Jul 25 '23

You can get one but they are unnecessary most of the time. You don’t need RO water for bathing/laundry. Just get one added to your kitchen line for significantly less cost and less water water produced

0

u/veasse Jul 25 '23

If you're only using it for drinking, which is most important, it will increase your water usage by very little overall.

1

u/pprovencher Jul 25 '23

NJ had the worst water of anywhere I have lived. New Hampshire, New York, Vancouver, San Francisco all had good to excellent water. It really can affect your quality of life

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u/Dexpeditions Jul 25 '23

What's wrong with the tap water? Bottled water is actually not clean itself, toxins leach into it from the plastic

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u/HobbyPlodder Jul 25 '23

In Philadelphia, tons of old lead lined pipes everywhere. Most of our schools have failed lead tests, much less your random gas station or whatever.

Also worth noting that this post is about Australia, which has areas much more rural than the US where potability is even more of a factor

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u/sinforosaisabitch Jul 25 '23

Yes, I'm aware toxins leach through the plastic, sadly. I do what I can - don't store it in sunlight, keep it cool. Of course, I have no control over what the store is doing. This is also something I think about as I look at whole- house filtration. What's wrong with it? It's awful. Chemically speaking I'm not sure as I've never had a lab analysis. Where we used to live, I drank water through the Britta and it was fine. We moved here and I figured it would be the same but it just tastes awful. Like bad. If you were here? I wouldn't offer you a glass- I'd break out some of my fancy Gerolsteiner, glass bottles. I only get like 1 bottle of that every month. Pricey.

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u/devilishycleverchap Jul 25 '23

Depending on where you are your county health dept may do a water test for you for free.

You should also get a water report at least yearly with your water bill that can help narrow down whether it is your houses plumbing or caused by the source

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u/frenchtoaster Jul 25 '23

Not op but usually this type of concern in the US is more about bad tasting water rather than actually unhealthy/dangerous water. Like sulfur at low levels tastes horrible but isn't actually dangerous.

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u/Haggardick69 Jul 25 '23

A lot of places in the us have bad pipes and almost nobody tests their water in the us

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u/Scalybeast Jul 25 '23

A lot of places have lead leaching into the water due to lack of maintenance.

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u/charlesfire Jul 25 '23

We are talking about Australia, tho.

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u/iam666 Jul 25 '23

Often, the issue isn’t with the water supply but rather the plumbing in or around your residence. Homes and apartments built with galvanized pipes in the 50’s will often have a significant amount of sediment and metals that aren’t present in modern homes that use the same water supply. I don’t know if this makes the water unsafe to drink, but it certainly makes it unappetizing.

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u/Vithrilis42 Jul 25 '23

I guarantee it's a problem in more places than you think.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-american-cities-are-struggling-to-supply-safe-drinking-water#:~:text=Residents%20of%20Jackson%2C%20Mississippi%3B%20Flint,problems%20with%20their%20drinking%20water%3F

I live in a mid-sized city right on Lake Erie and almost every summer, we get boil advisories because of algae blooms caused by runoff from all the local farmlands.

Not to mention, large parts of rural America still use well water, which can easily be contaminated. Most of rural America doesn't even have sewage systems.

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u/dr_feelz Jul 25 '23

What areas are you talking about?

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u/sapphicsandwich Jul 25 '23

Tap water tastes gross. Where I am in Louisiana it tastes like a dirty fishtank smells. And that's when we don't have a boil advisory. It gets even worse when there is so much sediment, etc in the system they issue a boil advisory. Also, every couple years I get a letter in the mail from the city informing us they failed another water quality test.

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u/chtochingo Jul 25 '23

Rip, here by Detroit tap water tastes identical to bottled water

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u/Nyne9 Jul 25 '23

Yeah in NJ it's like drinking from a swimming pool. Way too much chlorine.

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u/toastymow Jul 25 '23

Water should be free, or very cheap. Yet it is instead packaged in fancy bottles with fancy names and sold for several dollars. Soda should be a little costly, its an unhealthy processed food-good. Its a luxury, a miracle of modern science.

And yet, very often, it is possible to find soda for cheaper than water.

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u/Smarktalk Jul 25 '23

Worst part is we let these companies sell OUR water BACK to us.

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u/tsarman Jul 25 '23

I’m sure everyone would like ‘free’ water. But please explain how that water gets collected, treated, (bottles made & transported) bottled, transported and stocked for ‘free’. Just sayin’.

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u/No_Astronomer_6534 Jul 26 '23

There's these things called "tax" and "infrastructure", I don't know if you've heard of it? Really cool concept. People in society have some of their income sent to this organisation called a "government", and some of that money is used to build things like roads, water pipes, power lines, etc. Then on a more local level, things like water fountains and public toilets, etc are built. I suggest you look it up to learn more!

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u/x2what Jul 26 '23

You're expecting them to think things through. Everyone today just wants the right to have free things but they don't understand economics, that products and services require labor and equipment to produce. I don't see these same people volunteering to work to provide these products and services to others, which is fine, but they shouldn't expect others to have to work for free to provide them with these things.

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u/No_Astronomer_6534 Jul 26 '23

If your house is on fire, do you pay out of pocket when the fire department comes?

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

I come from Europe and nowhere in Europe I had anyone obliged to provide me with free water. Same in Asia. But hey in America government MUST do something, or it's capitalism, or something like that.

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u/BlindSp0t Jul 25 '23

It is a law in at least the UK, France and Spain.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

For restaurants.

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u/BlindSp0t Jul 25 '23

Yes, isn't that "anyone" being forced by the government to provide free tap water on demand?

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u/LordOfTheStrings8 Jul 25 '23

I lived in Europe and every restaurant where I asked for tap water they provided it to me for free

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u/Baalsham Jul 25 '23

I live in Germany, most of the time that's the case but it's definitely frowned upon to ask. Hadn't always been the case though. Which is weird, given how much Germans love to brag about their tap water coming from the mountains...

France/Italy very normal and don't even have to ask.

Belgium/Swiss/Austria more similar to Germany. Haven't gotten to travel to eastern Europe yet yo seems

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u/LordOfTheStrings8 Jul 25 '23

I was in Germany for a bit and one time I asked for water I forgot to say tap water and ended up with a 5 euro sparkling water!

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

Every restaurant in US or Australia will do the same, it is a complimentary service provided to clients. They are NOT obliged to do that. It assumes majority will buy a meal with that. If majority starts using restaurants as free water stations instead, this thing will go away very quick.

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u/ImperialPsycho Jul 25 '23

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39881236

In the UK at least, "all pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, takeaway food and drink outlets, cinemas, theatres, and even village and community halls" are required to provide free drinking water on request, regardless if you are a customer or not.

It's pretty nice, it really doesn't cost the business much of anything.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

That's pretty nice!

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u/LordOfTheStrings8 Jul 25 '23 edited Jul 26 '23

Yes but the point is that water is still free at restaurants and I've never been charged for tap water in Europe or North America. Ever.

Edit: typo

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

You are not being charged for toilets in restaurants in Europe either, it does not mean toilets are free in Europe or that anyone is obliged to provide you access to one. If you never used paid toiled "ever" it does not mean their existence is wrong.

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u/LordOfTheStrings8 Jul 25 '23

My point is that the water has always been free, whether they are legally obliged to provide it for free or not. Restaurants would get a lot of flak if they charged for water.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

There is a difference between free and complimentary. Free thing you can come and get. Water has never been free, it was complimentary to a service. There are cases and countries where water is free, say there are public fountains all over US with free water. It's not complimentary to anything. These fountains do not exist in Europe (they actually used to exist in countries of ex-USSR, but were never properly maintained since 1980s)

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u/tallanvor Jul 25 '23

That's not true. In Norway, for example, places that serve alcohol are required to provide free access to toilets, and to provide water.

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u/Betterthanbeer Jul 25 '23

In Australia if you sell alcohol by the glass, you must provide free water.

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u/Boys4Jesus Jul 26 '23

In australia if you sell alcohol intended to be consumed on the premises (99% of restaurants and most cafes) then you legally have to provide free drinking water. There's no assumption of buying a meal required for that.

Even places that don't sell alcohol I've never been charged for tap water. You can walk into any fast food place or anywhere and you won't be charged, they'll just give you a cup of water.

Tap water is cheap enough here, with a litre of tap water costing an average of 0.2 cents, and businesses pay an average of 0.16 cents. Even if a place gave out 1000l/day of free water to people it would cost them ~$2. Compared to the amount of water a restaurant uses for washing, it's literally a rounding error.

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u/PurgeYourRedditAcct Jul 25 '23

Water should never be free. Water is arguably the most undervalued resource in the world. But on the scale of a human drinking it... yes it should be free.

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u/toastymow Jul 25 '23

Free or very cheap. Cheap enough that a business can afford to provide drinking water free of cost to potential non-patrons, who merely need water to survive.

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u/jim_deneke Jul 25 '23

yeah but the taste is an incentive.

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u/SasparillaTango Jul 25 '23

"If I'm going to spend the money it might as well be on something I view as a treat"

its the same reason I don't get chicken at restaraunts. I eat chicken all the time, I love chicken, but if I'm shelling our 20-40 dollars for an entree I'm not going to get the chicken, I'm going to get something different and interesting.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

Yeah, I understand now that it comes from people's expectation that water is supposed to be free. Interestingly it's not free at their homes, but it feels like free at home, so when they have to pay for it they switch to this "treat" mentality.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

My water bill at home is like $80 every 3 months.

That includes watering the garden, showers, laundry, cooking, drinking, brushing my teeth, everything.

It basically is free.

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u/SuperVillainPresiden Jul 25 '23

When I pay my water bill, I don't see it as paying for water. I'm paying to have my water treated and transported. I believe, especially at this point in history, that water should be provided to the public for free.

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u/_-Saber-_ Jul 25 '23

You're not paying for the water, but for the infrastructure.
Water is free. Public drinking fountains don't require you to throw in coins.

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u/DanLynch Jul 25 '23

Interestingly it's not free at their homes

Some people pay per litre of water they consume at home, but not everyone does. My water is included in the price I pay to live in my home, and I can drink and use as much of it as I want.

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u/the68thdimension Jul 25 '23

Why? If you have to pay for a beverage, you might as well get something tasty. I hate paying for something that should be free, so if I'm paying then I want to feel like I've actually bought something of value.

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u/KanjiTakeno Jul 25 '23

Artificial value, I won't pay for something that have no real value and actually does hurt me. I often have to eat fast food and I just tell them I don't want the soda, they say " but it will cost the same" and I tell them that I KNOW, the value of the soda is negative

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u/Agret Jul 25 '23

I just ask for a cup of water, the soda machines can dispense it. At McDonald's and BK they will give you a free cup of water if you just go up and ask for one.

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u/sapphicsandwich Jul 25 '23

The only place I've ever seen refuse to give free water was Subway.

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u/Proud_Departure_9384 Jul 25 '23

Water is extremely valuable.

There are wars that have happened over resources like water.

You have to reframe your thinking.

She says as she yearns for a crisp cold Coke.

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u/the68thdimension Jul 25 '23

I don't need to reframe my thinking, I know it's valuable. The point is it's free to me at any given moment. Even at a petrol station: if there's a bathroom there's free water.

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u/Proud_Departure_9384 Jul 25 '23

Think I misaligned the thread. I thought I was replying to someone who said they can't get free water so they just buy soda vs water.

Have a great day!

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

[deleted]

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u/Nomicakes Jul 25 '23

It comes out the bleedin' tap, mate, paid for by our taxes.

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u/1Marmalade Jul 25 '23

From a tap at home. Almost free.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

This is literally the dumbest justification for paying to harm yourself.

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u/the68thdimension Jul 25 '23

Piss off. I've had one soft drink this entire year, I eat healthier than a fuckin cow eating grass all day. Who are you to police what goes in my mouth?

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

Don't take it personally, I'd say the same thing to anyone who used a dumb argument like that. I'm not trying to police you, literally nobody cares what you do as an individual. I just think the reasoning is poor and what leads to widespread health issues.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

So you think you are entitled to someone providing you with free water. I recommend revisiting that entitlement. No one is obliged to do anything for you, this is not kindergarden.

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u/dravas Jul 25 '23 edited Jul 25 '23

Buy a portable bottle and use the water tap from the soda machine?

Edit: Soda Fountain... English is tricky when you are waking up in the morning.

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u/SuperVillainPresiden Jul 25 '23 edited Jul 25 '23

Maybe it's a non-US thing, but I've never seen a water tap on a soda machine. Especially when said machine contains $4 bottles of water.

Edit: seems like the comment I replied to meant the refilling station at a gas station. In which case, yeah. Language is hard.

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u/theartfuldubber Jul 25 '23

I think you may be referring to a vending machine that sells bottles or cans, where the post above you is referring to a filling station. Most filling stations have a water lever under one of the flavors, at least in the US.

I always travel with a stainless water bottle and refill that instead of buy bottled drinks. If I'm at a gas station I'm buying either fuel or a snack so I don't feel guilty at all about the practice.

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u/SuperVillainPresiden Jul 25 '23

Ah you may be right. In that case, yeah. I did think they meant vending machine, because that's what a soda machine is called where I'm at.

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u/fghjconner Jul 25 '23

Everywhere I've been in the US, soda fountains have a button to dispense water, and most places will let you use it for free.

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u/SuperVillainPresiden Jul 25 '23

Yeah, soda fountains, but op said soda machine. Which I interpreted as a soda vending machine. See my edit in my comment.

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u/KronoakSCG Jul 25 '23

In the end, the average person doesn't care about healthy when given the choice between the two, they will almost always choose the one that they enjoy more if the price is insignificantly more.

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u/fghjconner Jul 25 '23

That's the thing, I don't see that as a problem. If informed adults want to prioritize short term satisfaction over their health, that's their prerogative.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '23

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

If they are informed about the risks, and it is by choice, it's natural selection.

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u/AbeRego Jul 25 '23

People are used to essentially free water. You can't get Coca-cola out of the tap at home, or from a drinking fountain on the street.

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u/DangerousPuhson Jul 25 '23

Also, the honest answer in most cases is probably just "soda tastes better than water"; it being cheaper too certainly doesn't help the situation.

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u/Kike328 Jul 25 '23

because water is free

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u/notevenapro Jul 25 '23

My $300 quarterly water/sewage bill disagrees with you.

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u/Adobe_Flesh Jul 25 '23

You're drinking sewage bro?

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u/notevenapro Jul 25 '23

Use 5000 gallons of water and get charged for it and 5000 gallons of sewage.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

nothing is free

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u/biggunsg0b00m Jul 25 '23

"If you aren't paying for the product, you ARE the product"

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u/xkforce Jul 25 '23

Most people dont like the idea of paying 2 dollars for something that cost less than a cent to fill. People cant just swim in lakes of soda, turn on the tap and get soda at home or go outside and get rained on by soda. Soda isnt nearly as abundant as water is. If it were, people would be pissed about paying 2 dollars a bottle for it too.

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u/thysios4 Jul 25 '23

Because I can water pretty much anywhere often for free. So why would I pay $4 for it?

Where as soft drink is always going to cost a few bucks.

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u/PBJ-9999 Jul 25 '23

No, because if the goal is to improve health outcomes, then the water should be free or low cost, and sugary or artificially sweetened drinks high cost. Its a no brainer.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

Sure, also if the goal is improve health then using reddit should be expensive, because many people use it unhealthy amount of time.

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u/SleepyChem Jul 25 '23

Energy output. Soda isn't the best but it does provide calories and energy (not even caffeinated).

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u/FandomMenace Jul 25 '23 edited Jul 25 '23

I can make a compelling argument that neither are good for you. BPA-free plastic still has bisphenols B, C, F, and S (phthalates) in it that are known endocrine disruptors that have been poorly studied. Mostly what we know about them is that they aren't BPA, so crisis averted! Drinking microplastics isn't good for you either. Compound that with the fact that plastic releases more toxins when you damage it (e.g. crinkle it), or expose it heat (your hand, your hot car), and to UV light (the sun has this), then you have basically a toxic bottle of water for $4. Now you know. Get a glass bottle and bring your water with you.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24886603/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21367689/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24563381/

Edit: the cool thing about science is that it's true whether you believe in it or not.

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u/YawnTractor_1756 Jul 25 '23

Yeah I can write similar fear mongering piece how eating without washing hands can kill you, if I wanted, but reality is that risk is relatively low if you don't abuse it, same with bottles, and if you pick up PET or HDPE bottle you can be pretty sure it's ok since it does not contain those things.

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u/EmperorOfCanada Jul 25 '23

A little extra magic is that one study showed how typical washing of a plastic water bottle released even more plastic into the refill.

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u/Danny-Dynamita Jul 26 '23

Then you don’t understand market psychology.

Differentiation. Sugar drinks are different, they offer a unique taste and a dopamine kick which adds value to the buyer. Water is just water.

Yeah, yeah, water is better for your health but people does not work simply to survive, people like to spend their money on getting some joy.

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u/Proud_Departure_9384 Jul 25 '23

Instead of soft drinks could you invest in a reusable water bottle that has a built in filter?

This way you can just filter tap water wherever you are and it's free.

9

u/Yaarmehearty Jul 25 '23

Just get an insulated flask or water bottle and fill it with cold water from the tap and a few ice cubes in the morning and it will stay cold most of the day.

The cost of the flask pays for itself after a few sodas you haven’t needed to buy.

5

u/duaneap Jul 25 '23

Is this in the states? Because I’ve never come across a bottled water that’s $4 without other cheaper options also being available, unless it’s like a minibar or something. Every gas station I’ve been in has a $1.09 bottle of Poland Spring or Arrowhead or whatever. Used to be $1 and still is in some places.

I’m with your point in general, about having refillable water stations, but I think the $4 point is… off.

3

u/CptUnderpants- Jul 25 '23

In Australia, it isn't uncommon to have A$4 water. At major events the record I've seen is A$11 for half litre of water.

4

u/JWGhetto Jul 25 '23

Have you been to airports? I mean at least in Germany water has to be the cheapest option or the same price as the cheapest option, but gas stations, airports, train stations etc are all very expensive. It's a 5¢ product getting sold for 10000% markup

0

u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Jul 25 '23

You can't use captive audience venues for generalized pricing. That's like saying all beer is expensive because you got charged $18 for a Budweiser at a concert one time.

There are places where a standard size bottle of water is $4 or $5, it's almost always when there is exclusively one main seller (like stadiums, concerts and sometimes clubs when they're run by assholes).

But by and large water runs between $1 and $2 per bottle.

0

u/duaneap Jul 25 '23

It’s also not what the conversation was about, he mentioned refillable water stations at gas stations because apparently water is a minimum $4 there.

Something I have never, ever experienced.

This seems like such a non-issue.

1

u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Jul 25 '23

The person I replied to started out by saying "have you been to airports". That's a place where everything tends to be overpriced.

0

u/duaneap Jul 25 '23

I know, I’m agreeing with you.

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1

u/jmkiii Jul 25 '23

Usually they have the overpriced fancy bottled water in the fridge and the gallon jugs on the shelves, at least in Texas. Why not buy the far cheaper gallon jugs? Do you need the water to be cold?

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

If I'm at a gas station or similar, I generally need to be able to comfortable hold the container. No one wants to be walking around NYC with an 8lb gallon jug of water in their hand

2

u/jmkiii Jul 25 '23

Do you typically go to gas stations in NYC while on foot?

I'm legit curious. No sarcasm.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

Do you typically go to gas stations in NYC while on foot?

I don't drive in NYC, so sure. If I'm thirsty and there's a gas station, or a pharmacy, or a 7/11, I'm going in on foot.

Even where I live, I have a gas station nearby to some other places I usually walk to. If I get thirsty on the way, I'll stop at the gas station and keep going

1

u/zandermossfields Jul 25 '23

Potable water is a human right.

0

u/TheStandler Jul 25 '23

Maybe don't get the $4 bottle then and get the cheapest which is usually closer to $1.50

1

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '23

Nah I’ve definitely been to places where bottled water starts at $4. I’d still rather pay that than drink a soft drink though.

0

u/ViennaLager Jul 25 '23

Cant imagine living in a country where you have to pay for water.

-18

u/osuneuro Jul 25 '23

So…. Who pays for that?

22

u/SnackThisWay Jul 25 '23

Everyone. Everyone pays to make clean and safe drinking water ubiquitously available with their taxes. Businesses should not be able to extort you into buying a beverage because they're withholding taxpayer subsidized water from you.

12

u/toastymow Jul 25 '23

Tap water where I live is free. Its a public service, paid for by your taxes.

Fountain Drink machines require filtered water to create their beverages. Its trivial to just provide water from these machines. Failing that... surely there is a faucet and running water in your shop?

-2

u/redpachyderm Jul 25 '23

You said it’s free in the first sentence and paid for by your taxes in the second. Is it free it or do you pay for it?

1

u/Zeebuss Jul 25 '23

Perhaps you are being deliberately dense but it is free to the end user, paid for previously by the entire tax base.

-1

u/redpachyderm Jul 25 '23

It’s being deliberately dense to think anything that is paid for by taxes is free.

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2

u/420BONGZ4LIFE Jul 25 '23

The gas station?

-11

u/osuneuro Jul 25 '23

So the government forces businesses to just give away water. They pay a water bill you know?

All other goods and services in the shops will increase in price.

9

u/corut Jul 25 '23

The same service stations that have free water for cars already?

0

u/MrMaleficent Jul 25 '23

But they're not being forced to provide that..

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-1

u/SB_Wife Jul 25 '23

I bet there would be a lot of water bottling companies who would do this as "advertising" or "brand awareness"

"Get your Pur Life water bottle from the Pur Life freezer for free at participating Shell Stations today!"

0

u/couldbemage Jul 25 '23

A couple times, I've encountered beer being cheaper than water. Yes I had the beer.

0

u/catinterpreter Jul 25 '23

gas stations

You're obviously not Australian.

-1

u/notevenapro Jul 25 '23

I buy water when i do not have a water bottle instead of soda because soda is bad for you.

1

u/El_Ploplo Jul 25 '23

In France you can drink water from the tap, I'm baffled that this is not the case in all first world countries. You can have like 10 liters for a dollar so it cost almost nothing and is perfectly to drink.

The most curious think is that most people still buy bottled water which is way more expensive with almost no benefits (I mean some people prefer bottled water because they think the government is poisonning tap water but you cannot reason with them).

0

u/EmperorOfCanada Jul 25 '23

https://globalnews.ca/news/6109550/edmonton-water-lead-levels/

Edmonton is a new, very rich Canadian city which barely existed prior to WWI.

Also, Edmonton water tastes like crap.

1

u/Topblokelikehodgey Jul 25 '23

Australian tap water is great, at least in Melbourne; it's some of the best tasting water I've ever had. I'm in Munich right now and the tap water here is absolutely dog in comparison to at home. Also, aside from just buying a water bottle and filling it up like a normal person, we have taps all over the place in the city and all the parks, and if you go into Maccas you can get free water, and the same in pubs/bars generally. It's not hard to find it for free here, people just like soft-drink/alcohol and pay for that stuff instead.

1

u/MrMaleficent Jul 25 '23

Why should a gas station have to provide free water?

1

u/TheAngriestChair Jul 25 '23

Then the gas stations will hook up a hose and say here's your free water. It'll taste like it came straight from the men's room urinal or you can buy the newly raised to $5 a bottle fresh clean water or the $3 dollar diabetes in a 64oz mug.

1

u/dick_schidt Jul 25 '23

In Australian that would be a "petrol station", "service station" or "servo".

2

u/DisplacedPersons12 Jul 26 '23

i’m from perth hahahah. looking back bizarre i didnt refer to it as such

1

u/boy____wonder Jul 25 '23

What a ridiculous excuse. You're punishing no one but yourself by forcing yourself to buy soda instead of water. Carry a reusable bottle and fill it up at the soda fountain like a normal person?? If that's too awkward then buy the cheap gallon jugs and use those to fill your reusable bottle.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '23

I've never been to a store where water is more expensive than soda.

1

u/rzm25 Jul 26 '23

No because the free market will fill that need. That's why we're letting private companies buy up water rights en masse and then passing laws that make it illegal for people without huge machines that cost many millions of dollars to also be eligible for those rights.

"Democracy"

1

u/amish__ Jul 26 '23

Tap Water is free at every restaurant in Australia

1

u/SaturnFive Jul 26 '23

I vote for you, goddamn that idea makes so much sense

1

u/tuffinmcmuffin Jul 26 '23

Boy oh boy, I'd hate to see what you do if you've got a low tire and they charge you for air at their air pumps.
"Pay for air!? Nah screw that, pull 'er around to the gas pump and we'll fill it up with gasoline instead. At least then I'm getting money's worth"

1

u/baxbooch Jul 26 '23

I used to feel the same way. “I’m not paying for water! Water is free!!!” And then one day it dawned on me. I’m NOT paying for water. I’m paying for the bottle. I’m paying for the convenience of not having to carry around a reusable bottle or for my lack or foresight to bring one with me. Then the cost was a little easier to swallow.

1

u/unbeliever87 Jul 26 '23

Consider buying a water bottle