Fitness buff Cindy Culver said she tries to be health- and cost-conscious when buying bottled water.

“I drink 35 to 50 medium to medium-small bottles a week,” she said. “I usually buy it by the case.”

Culver, 55, said she exercises at Champion Fitness on Shawnee Bypass.

“I use it when I’m working out, which is no less than two days a week, and up to four or five days a week,” she said. “I also carry it around with me.”

Always on the alert for new information, Culver said she checks the labels and compares products.

“I get the plain waters,” she said. “There are flavor packets you can get and add to the water, and they’re lower in sodium than the products that are sold already flavored. I was buying a different product before I started looking at cost. That’s when I realized some tasted just as good and were less expensive.”

According to E - The Environmental Magazine, bottled water is out, and tap water is in. The magazine says tap water enthusiasts are concerned about the environment.

It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all of the plastic water bottles in America, according to the Container Recycling Institute. Sending those bottles by air and truck uses even more fossil fuel.

CRI says eight out of 10 water bottles end up in the landfill. It takes 1,000 years for plastic bottles to break down, CRI estimates.

The magazine says consumers aren’t advised to reuse store-bought bottled water, or even plastic bottles made for refilling due to risk of leaching chemicals. Research shows that clear bottles made of polycarbonate plastic can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen in the body. Since BPA has been linked to low sperm counts and an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer, scientists suggest avoiding reusable bottles made from plastic.

Some refillable bottle options come from the stainless SIGG bottles made in Switzerland. The trend away from bottled water may also boost sales of home filters. Water quality experts say most tap water is fine to drink straight from the faucet.

However, sales of bottled water in this area have not dropped, according to Randy Moore, grocery manager for Reasor’s Groceries in Tahlequah.

“Sales are still on the rise somewhat, although they have leveled off a little over the past few years,” he said. “The manufacturers are offering more flavored and carbonated waters to attract that section of the market.”

A wide range of people buy bottled water, and Moore said he thinks there are a couple of reasons.

“I think a lot of people have replaced pop or tea with bottled water; people are trying to drink a little less sugary drinks,” he said. “But, the convenience factor is the main thing.”