"$15 Billion of Bottled Water Down the Drain!" is the headline on Fast Company magazine this month. Inside, a must-read article by Charles Fishman is filled with sobering facts about Americans&39; love of bottled water, exposing the unhealthy side of an industry that has us shelling out big bucks for something we can easily get for free.

Get this:

Fishman explains that tap water in America is almost always high quality, and "if the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs, our monthly water bills would run $9,000!" He also points out that "24% of the water we buy is tap water essentially repackaged by Pepsi or Coke."

It&39;s not uncommon knowledge that while we complain about the high price of gasoline (which most of us need to get around) the price of bottled water is even higher -- but we have to spend it.

I know that not everyone&39;s water tastes great, but growing up I remember visiting my cousin&39;s farm where the water seemed to me what I might now call an "acquired taste." But back then we didn&39;t think twice about drinking it anyway. Water was water.

Even more disconcerting than the money we&39;re wasting on the premium stuff are the costs described in Fishman&39;s article for manufacturing the bottles, shipping them and then trying to recycle the plastic that&39;s left over. Even the healthiest environmentalist will shudder when they read his description of the resources required to produce a bottle of Fiji water and get it to us on our store shelves.

Truth be told, I&39;ve often felt guilty when buying bottled water, which I don&39;t do that often. Even during a recent trip, I refilled my water bottle at the airport drinking fountain rather than shell out $2 for another one. When I do buy bottles of water at home I often refill them and stick them in the freezer for another use. I have my money vices (I splurged on Starbucks on that same trip!), but spending money on bottled water to me usually feels...well, like money down the drain. When I remember, I tote sports bottles I have filled from the faucet at home. And when I don&39;t, I kick myself for having to buy a bottle.

After reading Fishman&39;s article it&39;s going to be even harder for me to buy bottled water. I think I&39;d better stock up on a couple more sports bottles.

Gerri Detweiler – Personal finance author, radio host and credit expert. Gerri contributes budgeting, debt recovery and savings information online.