Commercialization

[Gabu]

Here in Victoria the tap water actually is pretty good.  One time I took a trip to Los Angeles, though, and was pretty much forced to buy bottled water since the tap water was so undrinkable.

[Gabu]

Strongly disagree. In cities, there is one primary source of clean water - tap water. Problem is there is no garauntee to it's cleanliness, it has chemicals in it, and it tastes lousy.

Unless you live in Detroit.  Detroit tap water is tasty.

And so is some school's water where they add fluoride.  It gives the water a vaguely sweet taste (this may sound gross, but actually it tastes quite good)... sometimes.  And some drinking fountains taste like nails

Flouride. That's a chemical. Can cause some nasty health problems if you consume too much.

Technically speaking, a lot of things are chemicals.  Did you know that humans consume two to three cups of dihydrogen monoxide on average every day?

[Gabu]

Every chemical is dangerous in large enough quantities, including dihydrogen monoxide.

Yes, there's actually a condition called "water poisoning", also known as "water intoxication" or "overhydration".  Basically, your body's fluids need a certain concentration of cations such as sodium and potassium in them in order for your body to function properly.  Drinking obscene amounts of water can dilute their concentration and flush out those cations, resulting in many adverse conditions, including death in extreme situations.  Sodium is bad for you in large amounts, but you do actually need a certainl level of sodium to survive.

So, just remember: drinking water can kill you.