When I chatted with my father on Father’s Day, we talked about bottled water. He’s 85 years old and darn proud to say he’s never purchased bottled water. Now, whether it’s because he’s just too cheap or environmentally aware the result is the same. I’ll take what I can get.
A recent article in the Arizona Daily Star points out that Aquafina, the top-selling brand in Tucson, begins its life as Tucson municipal water. Okay, sure, they filter it but considering that the cost difference is $1.39 per half-liter bottle at a convenience store compared to $.01 for over 6 gallons of water, you could invest in your own home water filter and save yourself some bucks. In addition, you won’t be wasting the oil resources used to make and transport water bottles, and the waste they create, to buy the same water you can get from your tap!
Many people erroneously believe that bottled water is safer and cleaner than tap water. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water. There are hundreds of federal and state employees dedicated to tap water regulation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water and has less than one full-time employee dedicated to compliance with bottled water rules. The FDA also says its rules do not apply to water packaged and sold within the same state. So where do YOU think the majority of bottled water companies source their water? According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 60-70 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States is exempt from the FDA’s bottled water standards because the water is sourced in-state.
The NRDC completed a four-year study of the bottled water industry, including its bacterial and chemical contamination problems. During testing of 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of water, the NRDC found that about one third of the bottled waters tested contained significant contamination (i.e., levels of chemical or bacterial contaminants exceeding those allowed under a state or industry standard or guideline) in at least one test.
The bottled water industry tempt us with pictures of glaciers, mountain springs, and virginal forests. The reality is that just because you purchase water in a bottle doesn’t make it any better regulated, purer, or safer than most tap water.
Resources:
- Bottled water losing steam
- Natural Resources Defense Council: Bottle Water – Pure Drink or Pure Hype?
- Tappening
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This was a great piece and needed to be brought to the publics’ attention! Thank you so much for publishing it. With gratitude, Laurie Beggin
http://lauriebethbeggin.blogspot.com
http://27lauriebethbeggin.etsy.com
reuse, repurpose, recycle, rejoyce, reshine!
It’s funny how people think that because a company filters and bottles our municipal tap water and then sells it to us that somehow we think it’s better tasting, cleaner and worth the money. It’s the biggest lie and we fell for it to the tune of billions in profits for the bottlers.