Question:
It certainly is when standard practice in the US is to offer water free of charge, and only offer bottled water if the patron asks for

any ideas?

Answer: Until those fast food places get wise to it and replace the soda fountains, if you ask for a cup of ice for water, the soda fountain taps have a special button hidden there behind one of the sodas for water. Just let it run for a second to get the syrup out of the hose then fill up your cup with water. So far, they don't charge for ice but I'm sure that will change.

Some places have nasty tap water. I love the Chinese restaurant near us, but their tap water has a bad taste to it, and they don't serve pop, just tea, which I don't like. So, I always take a bottle of pop or water with me. I also do this at many fast food places as they don't serve the flavor or pop that I like.

Some places do offer bottled water at the grocery store price, so I don't mind paying for it there. But $2 is way too much.Interestingly I've had bottled water that tasted chlorinated. Some of it is unadulterated tap water.

That being said, we used to have one of the better water supplies in the country until federal rules said you had to chlorinate. Now the water has that slight whif of bleach