Home Water Filters vs. Bottled Water
In 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 40% of all bottled water comes from a city water system - it's nothing more than tap water in a bottle.
With more Americans becoming health-conscious in recent years, the bottled water industry has seen explosive growth, yet bottled water can actually be more contaminated than regular tap water.
Federal water quality regulations for bottled water are weaker than those for tap water on many levels. The NRDC report found:
- City tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition. In other words, a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water.
- City tap water that comes from surface water must be filtered and disinfected. On the other hand, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water.
- Most cities using surface water have to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, but bottled water companies are not required to do this.
- City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or carcinogenic chemicals, such as phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); yet lobbyists in the industry persuaded FDA to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals.
- City water systems must issue annual "right to know" reports, telling consumers what is in their water. Water bottle companies successfully killed a "right to know" requirement for bottled water.
Many bottled water companies filter the water, but plastic water bottles also leach toxic chemicals into the water. If you've ever noticed that bottled water tastes funny when you leave it out in the sun, then you've ingested toxic petrochemicals. The hot sun speeds up the chemical leaching process. These chemicals can cause reproductive problems, hormonal imbalances, and even cancer.
Plastic water bottles create another big problem for us all: they pollute our planet. These bottles may last for thousands of years, and they've already caused irreversible damage to our environment. Just look at the example of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch." This island of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean is twice the size of Texas! And guess what it's made of? 80% plastic.
Stop wasting your money on bottled water, and stop contributing to the destruction of our planet. Invest in a home water filter.
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