The ubiquitous square bottle, Fiji water has been trendy since its market debut several years ago. Bottled in Fiji and shipped over (can you say carbon footprint?!), this water has neither a distinctive flavor nor a superior quality that I can discern. Further, the damn square bottle doesn’t fit in car cup holders. — $3 for a liter

Imported from Norway, Voss is the only still-water sold in glass bottles at Wegmans. While the glass bottles are pretty, they are impossible to open and carry an impractically small amount of water in them. Also, glass can sometimes be a disaster in the making — just imagine dropping a reusable Wegmans bag full of Voss bottles in the middle of College Ave. Not pretty. — $2 for .375 liters

Poland Springs is the classic bottled water, hailing from rural Maine and coming in ergonomically (and environmentally friendly) plastic bottles. Poland Springs has a crisp, fresh flavor and is cheap to boot. The only downside is that it is hard to find in small quantities or at take-out places like CTB, so you generally have to buy it in bulk. — $1.50 for a liter

Many people like to point out that Evian is naïve spelled backwards, but Evian is still a very high quality water available almost everywhere in varied sizes. Arguably the freshest tasting bottled water, Evian is reasonably priced for “designer” water and doesn’t come in pretentious, odd bottles like Fiji and Voss. — $2.50 for a liter

Aquafina is found in every beverage case around campus. Essentially bottled tap water, Aquafina is overpriced and has a stale flavor. When desperate on campus, Aquafina is (unfortunately) the only option, but try to avoid at all costs otherwise. — $1.69 for a liter

If you’re a fan of Sigg or Nalgene bottles, filtered tap water is the way to go. While Ithaca supposedly has delicious, clean water, I still always use a filter. Brita filters take up far too much valuable fridge space, so I stick to Pur filters, which mount directly on a sink faucet. Pur-filtered water is fresh and at whatever temperature you desire. Plus those reusable bottles are the most environmentally friendly and the cheapest option. — $20 for unlimited water

THE VERDICT: Filtered water takes the cake, but Evian and Poland Springs are the runners-up if you prefer bottled water.