Is Bottled Water safer than tap water?
Americans are increasingly turning to bottled water as an alternative
to tap water, making it a 4 billion-a-year business in the United States. Most are looking for better tasting water but there is the perception that bottled water is cleaner and just plain better for you. But is it really?
A 4-year study conducted by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) produced the following principal findings:
- Most bottled water apparently is of good quality, but some contains contamination; it should not automatically be assumed to be purer or safer than most tap water.
- Bottled water contamination with microbes may raise public health issues, particularly for people who are immunocompromised.
- Government bottled water regulations and programs have serious deficiencies.
- Voluntary bottled water industry controls are commendable, but an inadequate substitute for strong government rules and programs.
- Bottled water marketing can be misleading.
- The long-term solution to drinking water problems is to fix tap water -- not to switch to bottled water.
See NRDC Chart for Key Differences between EPA Tap Water and FDA Bottled Water Rules - these may surprise you!
The High Cost of Bottled Water
With so many Americans consuming bottled water on a daily basis, have you ever wondered where all those plastic bottles end up? Or that it can take up to 1000 years for a buried water bottle to biodegrade? The following article explains the true cost of bottled water:
The Bottled Water Controversy: More expensive than gasoline, is bottled water worth it? by Kelly Faloon | Plumbing & Mechanical
What is the Alternative?
A point-of-use water filtration system offers a less expensive option and is more eco-friendly than purchasing cases of bottled water.
Source:
National Resources Defense Council
Study - Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype?