why do they sell bottled water/why do people pay for it?!

It is a popular misconception that bottled water is purer than tap water, this is not the case in the UK. In fact unless the water is in a glass bottle it will pick up pollutants from the plastic, spa water by its very nature comes from the ground and contains whatever is in the well. Tap water in the UK goes through a rigorous purification process and is eminently drinkable and safe.

I'm not sure what areas your other respondents live in-where I live, the city is required to maintain safety and health of the public water supply-I receive quarterly analysis reports. My water does have a pronounced chlorine smell from the tap-I just put it in a pitcher and in 30 minutes it tastes as good as any bottled water I've ever had.
I did live in a couple of towns where the water was clean and safe but very hard with minerals and tasted absolutely terrible. In those days water filters were horrible expensive and inefficient. Bottled water was a godsend, but we bought it in 5 gallon bottles, not 20 oz. These days, I have an aluminum water bottle.

They sell bottled water so people can take it on the go with them and it can be cleaner than tap water. You have to pay for it because you get it at the store.

because bottled water is normally purified and cleaner and people have to pay for it because the plastic bottle costs money and so does purifying water.

I don't know, they are probably lazy. Also, water from the faucet isn't as clean as bottled water.

sum ppl r like health conscious which means they r scared of bacteria of bacteria of tap water and wnt fresh water

I want CLEAN water.