Tap Water or Bottled Water?
We’re a very environmentally conscious bunch here in the South Bay and this is the big environmental question. With the “greening” of the earth, the question has surfaced again.
Is there really a difference between tap water and bottled water? If so, which is best for you?
Did You Know?
There are almost 60,000 public water systems in the United States. They take care of your waste water as well as drinking water for communities all over the country. Public water systems are regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They provide strict guidelines as to the types of particulates that can be present in water and their levels.
Water facilities have to provide a CCR (consumer confidence report) each year to the government. This is how they catch violations and make recommendations to rectify them.
When it comes to bottled water, it is overseen by the Food and Drug Administration. Similar standards are used but the EPA is stricter on public water systems. Water bottling companies have to use sanitary conditions to bottle their water. They are also required to regularly test source water and final bottled products for contaminant levels. The source water must also be kept bacteria free.
Which Is Better?
Which one you choose depends on you and your tastes. For all intents and purposes, tap water is safe to drink. Because of the strict regulations, any high levels of certain contaminants are investigated and rectified by the government. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t spikes from time to time in certain contaminants in the water system.
On the other hand, with bottled water, you may be getting glorified tap water. In order for a bottled water to be labeled “purified” it has to have changed the water in some way. It could be as simple as filtering tap water. Even if it is spring water or from a cold mountain stream that doesn’t guarantee that it will taste better, and taste is what people go for if they are going to buy water in a bottle. Your own tap water may taste better.
Even with the level of contaminants being considered, if you like your tap water, a tap filter can provide the extra confidence you need that the water supply is safe. In the long run you will spend less for it than on bottled water.
In answer to people’s concerns, there are more choices for cleaner water. Filtering systems for the entire home, taps and for water bottles provide water that is more filtered to suit a variety of needs.
What can you do? Check the labels and the source of the water you are drinking to determine if bottled or tap is best for you.
Which way do you vote tap water or bottled water? Let us know in the comments section below.
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