by David Eastham
We are first going to let the experts weigh in with their opinions concerning tap water and bottled water, and then we are going to see what we can conclude. Finally, we will make our choice for the best way of getting good, healthy water.
In the battle between tap water and bottled water we will first hear from the tap water experts, some of whom don’t think tap water is safe to drink.
Well, here are what the experts think. What do you think?
1. According to a USA Today-Special Report, “How Safe Is Your Water?”, “Each day, millions of Americans turn on their taps and get water that exceeds the legal limit for dangerous contaminants.”
2. “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is as much as 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.” This was from the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality
3. “U.S. drinking water contains more than 2,100 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer.” Ralph Nader Research Group
4. “Weed killers were found in the tap water of 28 out of 29 cities tested.” Environmental Working Group Report, “Weed Killers by the Glass”
5. The Associated Press investigation found a vast array of pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water of at least 41 million Americans.
What did they discover? They came up with everything from sex hormones and antibiotics to chemicals used in the treatment of mental illness, cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, high cholesterol and more.
Ok, so tap water is a good disinfectant that might produce three-eyed cockroaches. What about bottled water?
1. The World Wildlife Fund commissioned a university study that showed the only clear difference between some bottled water and tap water was, “…it is distributed in bottles rather than pipes.”
2. “Bottled water standards in the US are at least as protective as those for tap water”. (Can’t you feel the love!) This was from Stephen Kay, spokesman for the International Bottled Water Association.
3. Truth be known, “Bottled water is not tested as thoroughly or as frequently as tap water”, according to Jon Coifman, speaking on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council. (This is because tap water is regulated by the EPA whose regulations are stricter than the FDA’s regulations for bottled water.)
4. The university study mentioned above also stated, “Toxic chemicals can be released into the environment during the manufacture and disposal of bottles,” and they went on to mention that 1.5 million TONS of plastic are used annually to bottle the water.
5. In the bottled water industry suppliers often use reverse osmosis filter systems to purify the water. In this process the water is stripped of all minerals and it becomes slightly acidic. This water is thought by some health experts to be dangerous to drink on a regular basis since:
(a) Any time we consume an acid substance, our bodies will pull minerals from our teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate in order to neutralize the acid and,
(b) When body fluids become more acid than alkaline the production of free radicals increases, causing an increased risk of cancer.
I took a break from writing this report today and went to the store to find the cheapest bottled water I could. It came in at about $5.00 a gallon, much worse than gasoline. And the bottlers didn’t have to acquire oil leases, find the oil, drill for it, get it to a refinery, refine it, etc.
What a deal (for the bottled water companies)!
It is clear that our tap water is very dangerous and we now know bottled water regulations are even less strict than for tap water, and the IBWA itself confirms that 25% of their bottlers use water right from the tap.
So, what can we conclude?
1. We can conclude tap water is clearly dangerous to our health and bottled water is “iffy” at best, since it is even less regulated than the tap water.
2. Plus, there can be serious health issues regarding drinking chemically pure bottled water, as well as environmental issues with the plastic bottles, and it is expensive.
If bottled water and tap water were our only choices, it’s clear WE would be the losers in the war of bottled water vs tap water.
The good news is we don’t have to be dependent on either choice. We can ensure ourselves of good, safe water by bottling our own water straight from our filtered taps at home.
About the Author:
David Eastham has done extensive research on such subjects as bottled water regulations to find the best way to provide
good, clean drinking water. Follow him to see his picks for the best dollar for dollar buys, and
the best products overall, in water filtration technology.