Is Bottle Water Better Than Tap Water In The United States?

Seventy percent of the human body is comprised of water. This makes drinking water quality vital. The EPA estimates the average adult consumes 1.2 liters daily or 115 gallons of community (tap) water daily while the average consumption of bottled water per capita in the U.S. is in excess of 30.8 gallons per year and is expected to continue to increase according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Association’s 2013 report. Bottled water costs anywhere from 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than the average cost of tap, but people’s perception that bottled water is purer, safer or healthier is driven, in part, by strong bottled water marketing campaigns that focus on news reports about crises that involve municipal water supplies. (NRDC, “Bottled Water Pure Drink or Pure Hype”) The sources for both tap and bottled waters as well as additives to either enrich or neutralize contents of water determine the mineral and chemical composition of drinking water. Is bottled water really any purer or healthier than local tap water?

Another way bottled water is the way to go is because it helps aid in healthy choices. In the article, “Grab the Bottle”, it states that “bottled water has helped consumers choose to drink more water because it presents it in a convenient way (Giroux). In many cases, consumers buy more objects that appeal to the eyes. Bottled water comes in different sizes and shapes. What is trending in society, the public wants automatically. In the article, “Comment-Soft Drinks and Water- The Future of Bottled Water”, he told that “attractive packages alone can make us feel that what we are drinking is beneficial” (Rowlands). Trendy shapes, sizes, and colors are what the public is drawn to. If a consumer sees a unique water bottle in the store, he or she will buy that because it’s trendy and popular in society.

much more prevalent, as well as prominent in the arena of social and political debate.

Everyone wants to know which water is safe for them, is it bottled water or tap water? The US drinks more bottled water than any other country across the globe. Not only does the US consume more bottled water, but uses a lot of energy to produce the bottled water. In developing countries, tap water is safe and ‘drinkable’. Bottled water and tap water come from the same sources, but tap water is better than bottled water. Some ways in which tap water is better than bottled water is the cost, environmental impact, and safety.

“Eighty-six percent of water bottles end up in landfills or in the ocean” (Sexton & Morley). The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) tested over 1,000 bottles of water to find out what kind of water was really in the bottle (Jemmott). They found out that an estimated 25% or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle (Olson). It is sometimes treated more, sometimes not. Also the NRDC tested water for contaminants. Most didn’t have any but 22% of the brands contained chemical contaminants (Olson). Most of these chemicals were strict above the state health limits. If the water inside the bottle becomes contaminated the producers don’t have to let the consumers know. Although many people believe plastic bottles are convenient, nevertheless they can extremely harm you because of the chemicals in the plastic and is also causing harm to the earth.

Dee your discussions was very informative and also an eye opener. I am amazed of the amount of money that people spend on drinking water. Some people view bottle water as being convenient and superior to tap water, however views have been changing since the number of incidents on water quality has been rising. A study was done in Cleveland, Ohio on the amount of fluoride that was in the state’s tap water verses bottle water. The study showed that the bottle water had five percent of the state’s required recoomendations for fluoride. However, the same study showed that the states’s tap water resulted in 100 percent of the states required recommendations (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3084479/).

For those who have city water it has been proven by the EPA that tap water is cleaner than most bottled water in stores. The reason for this is, while the FDA run tests for bacteria in the bottled water once a week, the EPA runs tests on tap water every day. The NRDC did studies in 1999 on water bottles finding and stating this, “more bacteria than allowed under microbiological-purity guidelines.” There have been multiple incidents since then involving harmful chemicals in bottled water.

Plastic water bottles seem to have chemicals that may not be safe for the human body. For illustration, “as #1 bottles are reused...they can leach chemicals such as DEHA, a possible human carcinogen, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a potential hormone disruptor” (Karlstrom and Dell’Amore 1). Water bottles, when used once proved okay, but when reused they can carry dangerous chemicals. However, some experts state that tap water, though cheaper, “[bottled water’s] likely no safer or cleaner” (Karlstrom and Dell’Amore).This shows, bottled water’s high price does not mean it will prove healthier for the human body. Healthwise, bottled and tap water each have their own advantages and

Studies have shown there can be various distinguishing effects on the body and the environment from the consumption of tap water compared to the use of bottled water. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with drinking tap water nor does it effect our environment. Bottled water, on the other hand, has an extensive effect on the environment because plastic bottles take so many years to biodegrade in our local landfills. Consumers today spend a certain amount of money on bottled water that may not even be safe to drink. Spending a greater amount of money on something does not

A popular beverage in today's retail market can be harmful to consume. Thats right bottled water can cause cancer! There's a safer alternative to drink, tap water. Tap water is better than bottled water because tap does not get transported so it does not have the harmful heat rays which may result into cancer. Tap water has low bacteria levels making tap water the best choice to drink. Tap water is also the better alternative because it is environmental friendly. Another benefit of tap water would be it is observed frequently to make sure it is user friendly.

Therefore, suppliers are not held to the same strict regulation as states, cities and localities. This allows chemicals and bacteria to remain in bottled water. Moreover, in many cases bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap water. For example, PepsiCo’s Aquafina clearly states on its label that Aquafina is purified water that originates from public water sources, i.e. tap water (D'Cruz, 2015). However, while the bottled water may be nothing more than tap water, it is not so much the water that is the

Bottled water is great for when you are going on long trips or if you are going biking. Millions of people all over the world use bottled water which can be ok in some circumstances. People that do drink bottle water throw the bottles out the windows of their car or even throw them in to ponds. “Though staying hydrated is especially crucial for athletes, they are not the only ones who are toting water bottles. The bottled water business has been accelerating rapidly in the past three years, bringing in close to $5.2 billion in 1999, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation.”(“Bottled Water." ABC News. ABC News Network) Bottled water is useful but is it safe? The manufacture of plastic bottles believe plastic bottles are safe, and so far the government has not banned their

In many ways more so than the EPA rules for big city tap water. For instance, tap water cannot have any confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria and the system operators must be certified to ensure that they know how to safely treat and deliver water. However, bottled water companies do not have any rules or regulations concerning either of those topics. FDA also doesn’t count carbonated water or seltzer water sold in bottles in its bottled water standards. If it’s not classified as “bottled water” than what is

The recent studies and research has established that bottled water is unhygienic and unhealthy too. In fact, it is even more dangerous than the tap water. There are regulatory bodies which conduct regular water checks. In many cases, it was found out that the bottled water was simply water which was filled directly from the taps.

In contemporary society, bottled water consumption has become more attractive and popular. While in 2009 were only sold 161,589 million liters of bottled water, in 2011 approximately 181.61 million liters were sold all over the world (The Statistics Portal, 2014). In this context, attributing that significant growth of bottled water commercialization is consequence of a successful marketing should