According to CNN, in wealthier countries, where clean tap water tends to be widely available, bottled water is frequently seen as a “luxury” item. People believe it to be healthier and tastier than tap water, an idea driven by bottled water companies. In contrast, in numerous middle- to low-income nations, the need to consume bottled water often comes from unreliable access to safe tap water.

据CNN报道，在较为富裕的国家，清洁的自来水可以广泛使用，瓶装水经常被视为“奢侈品”。人们认为瓶装水比自来水更健康、更好喝，这一想法由瓶装水公司推动产生。相比之下，在许多中低收入国家，对瓶装水的需求往往来自于他们无法获得卫生、洁净的水。

However, the industry’s emphasis on marketing bottled water as a “luxury” item can draw focus away from the real problem of public water systems that poor regions face, which can further worsen global inequities (不平等) when it comes to water access. 

然而，该行业把瓶装水包装为“奢侈品”的做法可能会转移人们对贫困地区面临的公共水系统问题的关注度，这也许会进一步加剧全球水资源不平等的问题。

For example, public officials often present bottled water as a stopgap (权宜之计) when tap water is contaminated(污染) or pipes are damaged. Yet in practice, bottled water often ends up replacing unreliable tap water for a long time, leading to the neglect (忽视) of rebuilding public water systems.

例如，当自来水被污染或管道被损坏时，政府官员经常提供瓶装水作为权宜之计。然而，在实践中，瓶装水经常长期取代出了问题的自来水，导致公共水系统的重建被忽视。

Groundwater extracted to help fill billions of plastic bottles a year also poses a potential threat to drinking water resources. In India, for instance, water resources are used to make expensive bottled water for rich people, while poor people are left with little water available.

每年都抽取大量地下水来灌满数十亿个塑料瓶，这也对饮用水资源构成了潜在的威胁。例如，在印度，水资源被用来为富人制造昂贵的瓶装水，而穷人却几乎无水可用。

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According to the report, the bottled water industry produced around 600 billion plastic bottles in 2021, leading to an estimated 25 million tons of plastic waste, the majority of which is not recycled and ultimately ends up in landfills. 

根据该报告，瓶装水行业在2021年生产了约6000亿个塑料瓶，产生了约2500万吨塑料垃圾，其中大部分没有被回收利用，最终被填埋。

Each bottle can take up to 1,000 years to decompose (分解), leaking dangerous and harmful chemicals during the process. Additionally, they find their way into the ocean, contributing to a significant build-up of plastic waste that presents a severe danger to marine life.

每个瓶子需要长达1000年的时间才能分解，在这个过程中还会泄漏危险和有害的化学物质。此外，它们会进入海洋，导致塑料垃圾大量堆积，对海洋生物构成严重威胁。

The main source of bottled water is groundwater, which is declining rapidly in certain regions of the world due to factors such as excessive extraction (过度开采) and droughts worsened by climate change. However, the amount of water used by the bottled water industry can further strain an already decreasing water supply.

瓶装水的主要来源是地下水，由于过度开采和气候变化导致的干旱等因素，世界某些地区的地下水正在迅速减少。然而，瓶装水行业的巨大用水量可能还会加重水资源供应压力。

Many people are concerned that the effects of groundwater extraction and plastic pollution may become worse in a warmer future.

许多人担心，在全球气温变暖的未来，地下水开采和塑料污染的影响可能会更大。

“If you really need to prepare yourself for a warmer future, you need a reliable water supply in your house for everyone,” Vladimir Smakhtin, coauthor of the report, told CNN. “Bottled water will satisfy the thirst, but it will not provide a sustainable (可持续的) solution.” 

“如果你真想为气温变暖的未来做好准备，你需要为每个人的房子提供可靠的供水，”该报告的合著者弗拉基米尔·斯马赫金对CNN说道。“瓶装水可以解渴，但却不能提供可持续的解决方案。”

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