The bottles are where the cost lies. Bottling water contaminates the liquid and many times the water in those bottles is nothing more than TAP water run through a filter or two, if that.

In some cities, (NYC) they're considering banning bottled water b/c of the waste it produces, even if the bottles are recycled. It makes a lot more sense to invest in our own bottles and fill them up ourselves. Also, a lot of bottled water doesn't contain flouride, which kids really need for strong teeth. I was surprised to find out that even filters like Brita filter out flouride, so I've been giving my kids a lot more tap water to make sure they get their. flouride.