Scenario:

Let’s say you run a NYC firm of 40 people. Based on data from the USDA, the average American drinks 3.9 cups per day. Assuming your employees drink about that each day, they would drink 280 gallons in a month.

Currently, you’re just providing tap from the sink but a representative from a water delivery company (let’s say it’s Poland Spring) shows up claiming you’re missing out. Before signing up, you do some research. You’re debating getting a mid-grade tap filter or signing up to get bottled water delivered for the next 3 years. Using data from Poland Spring, Amazon and the NYC DEP, you come up with the following:

Monthly Cost:

Water Delivery: 1st month: $656 Subsequent: $411 Last: $136 Filtered Tap: 1st month: $76 Subsequent: $1.46

Cumulative Cost:

Total Cost Over 3 Years:

Poland Spring: $14,766

Filtered Tap: $126.11

Conclusion:

After careful calculation, you tell the water delivery guy to forget your number. The price of filtered tap over 3 years is less than the cheapest month of office delivery. Of course, this example only specifically applies to businesses located in NYC. However, whereas the price of tap decreases among most other municipalities, the cost of water delivery remains practically the same.