We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.
- Jacques Cousteau

The benefits of drinking water are endless, from aiding digestion and eliminating toxins to increasing our mental agility and physical performance. H₂0 it would seem is nature's own all-round wonder drug, but does it make a difference whether we drink tap or bottled?

Us Brits drink more than 200 times as much bottled water as we used to in the 1970s. Back then, Aqua Minerale was something you only came across on fancy European holidays. Today, Britain's bottled water market is worth close to £2 billion, but environment minister, Phil Woolas, claims that bottled water is
'morally unacceptable' given that tap water in this country is perfectly safe to drink and 'bad water' kills 6,000 people around the world per day.

And then there's the environmental implications of drinking imported water with all its carbon air miles - often from as far a field as Fiji - pre-packaged in plastic bottles - only a quarter of which are recycled.

So, for this week's Talking Point, we want to know:

• Do you think bottled water tastes better?

• Do you think bottled water is better for you?

• Or do you think the fascination with bottled water is a load of old nonsense?

• Do you drink imported 'minerally' water?

• Is bottled water perceived as more stylish than tap?

• Do you think someone's thrifty or environmentally conscientious when they ask for tap water in a restaurant?

• Do the air miles attached to imported waters bother you?

• Do you recycle your plastic water bottles? Should bottled water be banned?

• Will wars eventually be fought over access to drinking water?