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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bottled water...Seriously Mother?

127 replies

Feminine · 10/01/2014 16:39

My Mother is coming to stay with us on Sunday well she was Wink

anyway somewhere, somehow , she has it in her head that she can only drink bottled water.

This is despite having a water filter. This is despite us having just bought one for her visit!

When I lived in London, it was a must (for us) it did improve the flavour and after seeing the crud floating in the top (of the filter) it made sense.

Where we live in the Country our water is really nice, I've been 'lazy' about using one here.

My Mother likes having masses of these blasted bottles in the kitchen, just for drinking The filter is fine for tea/coffee.

Now, I forgot this silly rule that she binds all her visits with. I innocently thought the filter would work... for all water needs

Apparently not, as you have guessed it, she still wants a collection of Tesco value water all over the place

I'm not unreasonable am I? Its just bottled tap water right?

mother also claims a Doctor no less has told here to use it!

I know, it is a very boring question...I'm yawning as I type...however what is the opinion on MN please.

Mum has just slammed the phone down on me! Grin

After a typical " If you needed something I'd get it for you" poor me speech!

OP posts:
hootloop · 10/01/2014 17:11

YABU I can't stand the taste of tap water, I started refusing to drink it at age 11 so for nearly 20 years I have only drank mineral water, not value bottled though that tastes foul, also I will have tap for tea if I am at home in the Midlands but boil mineral water for tea when at my caravan in Hampshire.

Lovecat · 10/01/2014 17:12

Water where we live is a lot harder than anywhere else in the UK (or so it seems, we are forever surprised at the amount of foam produced by our 'usual' amount of shampoo when we go away anywhere else!). We are, however, used to it to the extent that when we visit my parents (in the NW), the water there is so soft that it gives us tummy upsets! So when we visit we tend to drink bottled water to avoid the rather hideous side-effects (my mum thinks we're southern jessies, then moans when she comes down here and gets constipated by the same effect in reverse).

We buy our own, though, I think your mum is being somewhat unreasonable expecting you to lay it in for her.

Topseyt · 10/01/2014 17:27

I think that bottled water is for the most part just a huge rip-off. As far as I can see much of it is just tap water which has been bottled.

In the UK, tap water is safe to drink. I have drunk it all my life and lived to tell the tale, as have all of my family. We only ever used bottled water if we were abroad where the tap water was unsafe, or we were unsure whether it was safe or not.

Occasionally I have been asked by my children to buy them small bottles of drinking water (Evian or some such) in the local shop a few minutes walk from our house. My reply is always the same : "no, there is plenty in the tap at home", and they either have to choose something else or wait 5 minutes.

BigBoobiedBertha · 10/01/2014 17:31

I live in a very very hard water area. I drink the stuff out of the tap. Except for the odd occasion when you have to run the tap for a little longer than normal, I can't taste anything, not in the way you can taste bottled water which can be too minerally for me.

I used to use a filter mainly to try and save the kettle from furring up but we don't even bother with that now. I like the way the water comes out of the tap icy cold too. You don't get that if you get a filter and our fridge is too full up to fill with water just so I don't miss out on cold water.

So yes, your mum is being unreasonable and not you. Do you think, underlying it all is that fear that tap water isn't safe rather than the taste? I thought bottled water was less well regulated than tap water, TBH.

stupidlybroody · 10/01/2014 17:32

I'm shocked at the amount of people who only drink bottled water. That literally boggles my mind: you get it free from the tap!!

However I think I'm the only weirdo who prefers hard water. I can't stand the taste of filtered water.

TheFutureSupremeRulersMum · 10/01/2014 17:35

You're not alone stupidlybroody, I think hard water tastes nicer too. I thought soft water was supposed to increase risk of heart disease but I've no idea where I've got that from.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 10/01/2014 17:37

Tell your mum about all the BPAs in her bottled water

CarriesPawnShop · 10/01/2014 17:42

Just buy one bottle and refill it from your tap.

It's a win-win Grin

magimedi · 10/01/2014 17:44

I think we are so amazingly lucky to live in a country where clean potable water comes out of the tap. One statistic is that 1 billion people do not have access to clean water.

Drinking bottled water is such a waste - of your money & global resources.

Do you know what Evian spells backwards?

PS I also far prefer hard water for srinking.

QueenStromba · 10/01/2014 17:46

I like London tap water.

OhCaptainDarling · 10/01/2014 17:49

If she wants bottled water so can buy it herself...good lord!

LegoStillSavesMyLife · 10/01/2014 17:51

I thought hard water was better for you.

Purplepoodle · 10/01/2014 17:59

Tesco value bottle water is tap water that's been filtered and bottled

www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=250634760

"Filtered for improved taste,bottled for convenience"

mouldyironingboard · 10/01/2014 18:08

Bottled water has far more bacteria than tap water. Those with a compromised immune system are told to avoid it.

Sirzy · 10/01/2014 18:09

If she wants water other than that which is freely avaiable from the tap she can bring her own with her

then keep the bottles and you can fill them for subsequent visits

IneedAsockamnesty · 10/01/2014 18:28

Is she doing that thing perfectly healthy people do when they come out with nonsense like

Last week my doctor told me not to quit my 10 a day smoking habit because quitting would be to stressful for the baby?

Give something a bit of validity by saying a Dr said it

HoratiaDrelincourt · 10/01/2014 18:47

London water tastes nasty if you aren't used to it. Ditto filtered, weirdly.

Value might be tap but it's tap she's used to, and settled tap. It does make a slight difference.

But since my DM insists on expensive mineral water (the one that's more controlled than "spring" ie tap) I sympathise with you more than her!

SaucyJack · 10/01/2014 19:10

Our water tastes like warm bleach.

If yours is fine, just buy one bottle and then re-fill it from the tap when it's empty.

Original poster
Feminine · 10/01/2014 19:10

Thank you for all your responses!

I think a taste preference I could deal with, this..."its better for my delicate stomach bit" is really winding me up! To boot she has (apparently) been told this by a friend! I don't think this friend realized how she'd run with this info. At the best of times she is a controlling woman.

and I just spent £20 on the flipping water filter

Well, I think she is sulking now. The phone was slammed down at 2pm Grin

still can't believe she thinks filtered tap water upsets her stomach

OP posts:
Original poster
Feminine · 10/01/2014 19:12

sock yes, I suspect she is...

It started with a friends suggestion.

To have it backed by a Doctor was astonishing!

OP posts:
knowledgeispowerr · 10/01/2014 19:15

To answer, I only drink bottled water because our tap water tastes 'chemically', makes me heave!

GobblersKnob · 10/01/2014 19:18

I love our own hard tap water, but soft water upsets my stomach too, with exclusive results, so when we visit certain people I always buy and drink bottled.

IneedAsockamnesty · 10/01/2014 19:20

Well my Dr once told me there was no reason why I shouldn't try to shag Robbie Williams.

So there you have it, I may be busy for the next few days, if I'm not back by next week it will be something to do with the anti stalking order.

mummybellybaby · 10/01/2014 19:22

We only drink bottled water too but it's because of the flouride( am in ireland)in it. There is a shit load of it in irish water and it's extremely bad for you, especially for children! !

HamletsSister · 10/01/2014 19:22

I bought DH, for Christmas (he loved it) a bottle from the Garden a Trading Company on eBay. Glass bottle with "Perfectly Drinkable Tap Water" written on it as we have great tap water (Scotland) but he likes it chilled. Buy her one of those. Nicely PA.