Thinking twice before buying bottled water

When you travel internationally to places where you can't drink the water, you face the decision of whether to treat your water or to buy widely available bottled water. Treating water has the obvious advantage of cost but the disadvantages of inconvenience (you have to wait for the treatment to work) and taste. Although putting lemonade powder in the treated water will not only mask but also neutralize the taste (just make sure you wait long enough for the treatment to work before adding it), on a long trip the taste can get pretty boring. Bottled water has the disadvantage of cost but it also has another hidden cost we often don't consider: the creation of additional solid waste, often in countries that have no recycling and minimal waste disposal facilities. Whether or not to drink bottled water is obviously a personal decision, but one that should consider all the costs and benefits. For myself I bring a liquid iodine solution that has lasted for several years and buy bottled water as a treat.--Marian