Tap Water vs Bottled Water
We are often told we should drink more water and you will have heard about the health benefits of drinking water. There’s no doubt about it — water is essential to health and even survival. There is a debate going on in modern society regarding water, and that is tap water vs. bottled water. Which is healthier? Many people would immediately say bottled water is best but is that really true? Is bottled water best or are people being influenced by good advertising and fancy bottles? Most of the time, there are no clear benefits to be had in choosing bottled water over water from your tap.
Perhaps surprisingly many people still think there are harmful contaminants in their tap water and drink bottled water instead but whether this is true or not remains to be seen. According to the ABC News, the widely renowned news program 20/20 did a study where they compared five brands of bottled water to a sample taken from a water fountain in New York City. The water was tested for dangerous contaminants that may cause illness, such as e.coli. The scientists found no discernable difference between the bottled water brands and the tap water when it came to safety.
If you have any concerns about the safety of your municipal water supply, you should be able to request a copy of the water safety report from your local government building. You may have heard on commercials for water filtration devices that tap water contains lead. If you find from your own research that your tap water does contain elements that you don’t want to consume, using a water filter is an option you may want to consider before shelling out even more money for bottled water. Another reason you may want to choose filtered water over bottled is to reduce pollution to the environment from plastic bottles.
To answer the question of whether tap water is any worse than bottled water is simple. Properly treated tap water is a clean and healthy option for you. It seems both tap and bottled water are both free from dangerous bacteria. However you may prefer the taste of bottled water. If you get your water from a rural well, you may choose bottled water because the water from your tap is not monitored by the city and you find bottled water is cleaner. If you live in an urban or suburban area you may decide to go for tap water or filtered tap water carried in a reusable container instead of buying lots of bottled water. It’s simply a matter of personal preference.