Film Journal Entry

The movie I had chosen and had seen was Tapped, a documentary film about water by
Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey. First I am going to explain the films thesis is. Second, if
my view of bottled water changed since seeing Tapped. Third, if there are any specific changes
Im going to make in my buying choices. Fourth, in what ways have the bottled water
companies marketing strategy worked? Lastly, what are some of the stigmas attached to
drinking tap water? Are they true or false, and why? These questions will be answered with help
by any web sources about tapped and bottled water.
Tapped is about the bottles water industry and its effects on the people, money, and the
environment. It focuses on companies like Pepsi and Nestl waters, visiting a town which has a
Nestl factory, and running tests on the bottles the company uses. Their results came back
showing "several potentially harmful chemicals, some known carcinogens".[1] The documentary
also focused on the amount of bottles that are recycled, noting that "Forty percent of bottled
water is really just filtered tap water, and every day we throw away 30 million single-served
bottles of water.[2]
According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA):
Public water systems (tap water) provide quality water for human consumption and
other uses (e.g., washing clothes, bathing, and industrial and commercial uses)
through a piped distribution system to specific communities. Public water systems
are granted exclusive rights to provide water to consumers in a particular geographic
or municipal area. Consumers do not, therefore, have a choice of which public water
system will provide water to their homes or businesses.
Bottled water is a packaged food product sold in individual, sanitary, sealed
containers. It is intended solely for human consumption. Consumers have a variety
of bottled water choices available to satisfy their particular tastes and price
preferences. It is sold in many different package sizes, including 3- and 5-gallon
containers used in bottled water coolers, 2.5-gallon refrigerator-size containers, and
on-the go half-liter, one-liter, and 1.5 liter conveniencesize packages. Consumers
choose bottled water for several reasons: taste, quality, and convenience.[3]
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there are 4 types of bottled water.
Artesian well water - taps an aquifer
Mineral water - underground source and contain 250 parts per million dissolved solids
Spring water - from underground formation which water flows naturally to surface
Regular well water from a hole bored or drilled into ground
Also, according to the FDA there are 4 other types of water that are from municipal sources:

Distillation - water is turned into a vapor, leaving minerals behind. Vapors are then
condensed into water again.
Reverse osmosis - water is forced through membranes to remove minerals.
Absolute 1 micron filtration - water flows through filters that remove particles larger
than one micron.00004 inchesin size. These particles include Cryptosporidium, a
parasitic pathogen that can cause gastrointestinal illness.
Ozonation - bottlers of all types of waters typically use ozone gas, an antimicrobial
agent, instead of chlorine to disinfect the water. (Chlorine can add residual taste and
odor to the water.) [4]

Now the big problem that is surrounding bottled water is the plastic. Starting with
Bisphenol-A (BPA), this is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate
plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles.
They may also be used in other consumer goods. Exposure to BPA is a concern because of
possible health effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants
and children. [5] However, the FDA has said that BPA is safe at the very low levels that
occur in some foods. This assessment is based on review of hundreds of studies.
Even with this information Ive seen throughout the movie or have read; it doesnt
change my view on bottled water. There are only two brands of water I like to drink,
Aquafina and Deer Park. According to Aquafina their water comes from public waters and
goes through HydRO-7 process; this is a state-of-the-art process that removes things like
chlorides, salts and other substances that can affect waters taste. [6] While Deer Park
comes from carefully selected natural spring waters that renew from rain fall, melting snow,
and ground water moving through the earth then through a filtering process. [7] Im still
going to continue to buy bottled water because I like the taste better then tap coming
straight from the spicket. I only drink from the water bottles when Im on the go but when Im
at home I will drink from the tap after its filtered with my Brita pitcher.
There are 4 reasons why the marketing strategy on bottled water worked. The first is to
make it natural; Poland Springs Born Better tagline is an example of the most common
strategy for selling bottled water. You show some panoramic shots of waterfalls and imply
that your bottled water is naturally better and healthier than any other brand. Second make it
eco-friendly; Dasanis Plant Bottle commercial has the Earth, some pure water, a plant
growing; these are all images to link the bottled water to nature and environmental
concerns.


Third is to make it fun; A minute long spot for Aquafina water compares the product to
alcohol and implies the wild (yet refined) times that you will have consuming their specific
brand of water. Lastly the fourth is to have a celebrity to endorse the product; Smartwater
uses Jennifer Aniston in their commercial which features internet references, humor,
puppies; anything to show how clever and funny and ahead of the game Smartwater is.[8]

I believe there is a certain stigma about tap water and its the reason why people rather
drink the bottled water instead. First of all it doesnt have a satisfying taste due to the tap
water industry usually employs chlorine disinfection to guard against regrowth or re-entry of
microorganisms, which may leave tap water not tasting as good as it would otherwise.
Bottled water, on the other hand, utilizes ozone disinfection, which is tasteless and odorless.
[9]

In conclusion I have noted the movie Tappeds thesis on bottled water. I have said
whether or not my views have changed after seeing the movie and if I would make any
changes to my buying choices. Then I went on to explain why the marketing strategy on
bottled waters worked. Lastly, I explained the stigma on tapped water.



Work Cited
1. "Nestle Waters CEO Defends Company at Documentary Screening." Connecticut Post.
N.p.,n.d. Web.
2. "Filmmakers Investigate Bottled Water Industry." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web.
3. "Bottled Water." Vs Tap Water. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.bottledwater.org/health/bottled-water-vs-tap-water>.
4. "For Consumers." Bottled Water Everywhere: Keeping It Safe. N.p., n.d. Web
<http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm203620.htm>.
5. "What Is BPA? Should I Be Worried about It?" - Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/bpa/expert-answers/faq-20058331>.
6. "Aquafina." Aquafina. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.aquafina.com/purity-guaranteed.php>.
7. "Deer Park 100% Natural Spring Water 100% Natural Spring Water." . N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.deerparkwater.com/#/assured/our_quality>.
8. "Cruising Chemistry - How Is Water Purified?" Cruising Chemistry - How Is Water
Purified? N.p., n.d. <http://people.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/water/wattap.html>.
9. "Articles." BeCause Water. N.p., n.d. <http://becausewater.org/bottled-water-scam/the-art-of-
the-bottled-water-scam/>.