“Raw Water” Gathers A Cult-Like Following In Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is becoming obsessed with "raw water" that is not treated with chemicals used to prevent disease. The Live Water company of San Francisco, for example, sells "unfiltered, untreated, unsterilized spring water" for as much as $61 for a 2.5-gallon jug.
Start-up Zero Mass Water, which sells technology for collecting water from the atmosphere near their homes, has raised $24 million in venture capital. Fans of raw water apparently acknowledge their obsession is not backed by science, but remain convinced of its health benefits. Not only is there no evidence that untreated water is better for you, experts say, drinking untreated water can be dangerous: the opportunities for sickness from water-based pathogens – cholera, E. coli, hepatitis A, and giardia – are nearly immeasurable.