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A new trend: Restaurants charging for water

Is it OK for a restaurant to charge $1 for a glass of in-house filtered water?

We all realize it's a tough economy and restaurants are dealing the best they can. Yet sometimes they go too far, at least that's what one reader thinks.

Here's his e-mail to me (edited for space):

When I go to a restaurant I expect a fork, a plate, a napkin and a glass of water. Millennium restaurant is now making the mistake of charging $1 for the glass of water. They have stopped offering regular (free) tap water.

Their justification is that they are filtering the tap water, and they no longer offer regular tap water. Will they soon be charging extra for the use of the fork, the plate and the napkin? Will they create a separate charge to pay for a new dishwasher? Where will the nickel-and-diming stop?

I spend a lot of money at our precious vegan restaurants. Too many have gone under. I want them to make a profit so that they will be there for the long term. I want to pay them a lot of money for my meal. Let me have a glass of water, please!