The tap paradox

Louisiana's Department of Health just released its 2025 community water system grades. Baton Rouge Water Company scored a 95—an A-rated on water quality, infrastructure, financial health and customer satisfaction. Other, smaller East Baton Rouge systems hit the same mark.

Raising the question: Why do locals pay big money to buy water in plastic bottles, especially since tap water is drawn from deep aquifers and costs a half-penny per gallon?

Tap versus bottled, by the numbers:

• $575 to thousands, depending on price—what the typical family spends annually on bottled water, according to RedEye calculations based on retail sales data.
• $5—what tap water for drinking costs annually for a family.

The twist: A significant share of bottled water brands are filtered municipal tap water. You may literally be buying something like Baton Rouge's own water, marked up thousands of percent, with a mountain on the label.

Why people keep buying it anyway:

• Perception—bottled water marketing campaigns spent decades convincing Americans that tap isn't safe, even when the science says otherwise.
• Taste—chlorine smell worries people, though it's what keeps water safe in transit; letting it sit in a glass for a few minutes clears it. In some cities, the water tastes foul, but not here.
• Convenience—grabbing a cold bottle can be genuinely easier. Fair point.

What they don't see: A 2024 Columbia University study found that a liter of popular bottled water contained about 240,000 micro- and nanoplastic particles on average. Researchers said the particles likely came from the bottle itself and the bottling process. 

Plus, Americans discard millions of plastic bottles daily. Most end up in landfills. A single bottle takes up to 450 years to break down.

The bottom line: Baton Rouge water earned an A. It costs next to nothing. It comes straight from the tap. Maybe the best way to thank the people who deliver clean water to your house is to drink it. Give tap a chance.