MAILBAG: Bottled water is a waste of resources

Do you spend hard-earned dollars on bottled water, thinking it comes from some exotic distant location and must be safer than what comes from the tap? Don’t be fooled by pretty labels. Check the source of your next bottle of water.

Many companies hope you will skip the fine print and be foolish enough to pay for a product containing essentially the same water that flows to Southern California from northern sources, and is delivered through the tap by our publicly subsidized, publicly regulated municipal water systems.

One giant seller of bottled water is headquartered right here in Glendale: Nestle. The Sacramento Bee reported this week that Nestle was just ordered by the city of Sacramento to stop work on a bottled-water production plant. Nestle wants to draw 30 million gallons of water from Sacramento’s public water supply — and pay low “industrial” rates for the very same water that local residents are being asked to conserve during this time of drought and economic crisis.

Nestle stands to reap huge sales profits if allowed to build its plant. Its bottled water will be made using municipal water purchased by Nestle at the cheap, publicly subsidized industrial rate. It stands to gain at public expense, because Nestle knows that demand remains high for pricey bottled water, even in places like Glendale where we enjoy safe, clean tap water.

Nestle has been a good local neighbor, supporting Glendale’s schools, arts and nonprofits. But elsewhere, it seems Nestle places profit ahead of local residents and city water systems. It appears the residents of Sacramento are being asked to curtail their personal use of tap water only to see it carted off in trucks carrying disposable plastic water bearing pretty labels and price tags.

When faced with a worldwide outcry against promotion of powered formula to breast-feeding mothers in Third World countries, Nestle eventually agreed to change some of its practices. I hope the company will listen to the increasing concern about privatization of drinking water at public expense.

DEBORAH DENTLER

Glendale

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dentler is the former co-chairwoman of the Water Education Committee for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Dressing up dogs for Halloween

During this Halloween season, many pet owners like to dress their dogs.

My friends and I researched people’s opinions on dog costumes to complete a Girl Scout project. We asked people if they like to dress their dogs, and 22 out of 38 said they do only because “It’s funny, but the dogs don’t like it,” and “If the dog looks cute, then they might like it because the other dogs will be jealous.”

Please keep this in mind as Halloween approaches. Thank you!

LIZZY BRIGGS

Burbank

Leaf blowers only make things dirtier

Why do the merchants on Honolulu Boulevard in beautiful downtown Montrose insist on blowing their sidewalks clean with leaf blowers? This just blows the dirt around and makes the building dirty. The sap and garbage still stains the sidewalks. It looks awful.

Pressure-wash your sidewalks and vacuum up the dirt. It would turn the downtown into the beautiful place it should be.

RICK FONGER

Montrose