Can you taste the difference between bottled mineral water and tap water

ANGLIAN Water has laid down a challenge to its customers - can you taste the difference between bottled mineral water and tap water?

The company began the year with a clear message about the health advantages of drinking water, stressing that people should drink between six and eight glasses of water a day.

A spokesman said: "Drinking plenty of water helps you concentrate, tackle tiredness and perform better at work and study. Our tap water is fresh, convenient, and costs less than a penny for two litres. Compare that to the water you buy in the shops! We challenge you to taste the difference."

Never ones to shy away from a challenge, staff at The Ely Standard decided to find out if the people of Ely could taste the difference between humble tap water and its more elegant, bottled counterpart.

We filled a standard two-litre bottle (bottle A) with mineral water and bottle B with tap water to carry out a taste test.

We also asked how people felt about modern detox plans and diets, following news last week that a number of scientists dismissed the pills, supplements and drinks available as a waste of money. The Sense about Science organisation added that there was no replacement for a glass of water, but what do you think?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Beverly McPherson, 39, of Sutton, wrongly chose A as the tap water.

"I would agree that water is the best thing for you. We drink bottled water at home and I send the kids to school with bottled water. I suppose you think there is more calcium and minerals in bottled water.

"Well I drink quite a bit of bottled water, so that does come as a surprise. There's really not a lot of difference between them. I would drink more tap water if there was more information about it."

Ken, 75, and Janet Hitch, 71, of York Way, Ely. Janet correctly guessed that A was the mineral water, but Ken thought it was B.

Janet - "I think that B is the tap water because you can smell it. It was very difficult to taste the difference between them, though."

Ken - "I couldn't really tell the difference today, but at home, you could really smell the difference because it smells of bleach. Detox doesn't apply to us. We're not really big drinkers but I think water would be just as good."

John Donnellan, 59, a postman from Soham, wrongly guessed that A was the tap water.

"There's a nice bouquet to A... it's tricky to tell the difference, very tricky. I think A is the tap water."

A is actually the mineral water.

"I really couldn't tell the difference."

"I'm not a great drinker, so I'm not interested in detox. I'm not a great believer in these expensive things, myself."

Eric Playford, 69, of Columbine Road, Ely, thought the tap water was the bottled water.

"Well, there's not a lot of difference between them, really, but I think B might be the bottled one."

B is actually the tap water.

"There's not much in it at all."

"I'm not interested in all of that detox. I think you should drink a lot of water anyway, especially on the golf course."

Patrick Kavanagh, 77, a visitor to Ely from Clacton-On-Sea, guessed correctly that B was tap water.

"I could taste right away that it was tap water."

"That detox has been on the news a lot recently. I don't know a lot about it, but it's always good to have a glass of water. I always have one before I go to bed."

Rodger Germany , 67, from Sutton, wrongly guessed that A was the tap water.

"Well the water tasted horrible in Sutton, so that is a surprise. It tastes of fluoride. We use bottled water to make tea.