What is the Difference Between Bottled Water and Tap Water - Not Much
A lot of people have been asking what is the difference between bottled water and tap water.
Human taste tests and micro organism testing shows that there is little difference.
The fact is bottled water is tap water put into a bottle.
The differences are in cost, regulation, wastage and environmental impact.
Those exotic labels and fancy bottles contain water drawn from municipality water supplies - the same source your tap water comes from.
Now, I'm not saying that there aren't exceptions, but given that practically all ground water is contaminated, unless the bottling company filters that incoming water, it will be the same.
Regulations state that bottled water only has to be 'as healthy as' municipality supplied water.
Municipalities monitor their water quality several times a day--there is no such control placed on bottled water.
The cost of processing, packaging, advertising and distribution water bottles is paid for by the consumer.
Tap water by comparison is very cheap indeed.
And then there is the environmental cost: What is the difference between bottled water and tap water may not matter to some in terms of money, but after ploughing my way through hundreds of plastic bottles in streams and lakes, it matters.
Plastic doesn't break down quickly and when it does, a poisonous substance used to soften the plastic, leeches into the soil.
This has become a massive problem in land fills.
That poison eventually finds their way back into the water supply.
Of course, there are hundreds of other toxins in there as well but why add to the problem? And yes, bottled water also comes in glass bottles.
Glass has less of an environmental impact as it can be recycled.
Tap water then, is the lesser of the two evils because of cost and environment considerations.
The right answer is to filter the water from your tap and then bottle it, when needed, in glass or metal bottles.
Excellent tap filters don't cost the earth and the same company can supply you with glass or metal bottles.
That gives you the best of both worlds--the convenience of a bottle filled with pure, sparkling, toxin free water.
Human taste tests and micro organism testing shows that there is little difference.
The fact is bottled water is tap water put into a bottle.
The differences are in cost, regulation, wastage and environmental impact.
Those exotic labels and fancy bottles contain water drawn from municipality water supplies - the same source your tap water comes from.
Now, I'm not saying that there aren't exceptions, but given that practically all ground water is contaminated, unless the bottling company filters that incoming water, it will be the same.
Regulations state that bottled water only has to be 'as healthy as' municipality supplied water.
Municipalities monitor their water quality several times a day--there is no such control placed on bottled water.
The cost of processing, packaging, advertising and distribution water bottles is paid for by the consumer.
Tap water by comparison is very cheap indeed.
And then there is the environmental cost: What is the difference between bottled water and tap water may not matter to some in terms of money, but after ploughing my way through hundreds of plastic bottles in streams and lakes, it matters.
Plastic doesn't break down quickly and when it does, a poisonous substance used to soften the plastic, leeches into the soil.
This has become a massive problem in land fills.
That poison eventually finds their way back into the water supply.
Of course, there are hundreds of other toxins in there as well but why add to the problem? And yes, bottled water also comes in glass bottles.
Glass has less of an environmental impact as it can be recycled.
Tap water then, is the lesser of the two evils because of cost and environment considerations.
The right answer is to filter the water from your tap and then bottle it, when needed, in glass or metal bottles.
Excellent tap filters don't cost the earth and the same company can supply you with glass or metal bottles.
That gives you the best of both worlds--the convenience of a bottle filled with pure, sparkling, toxin free water.
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