Research Paper On Bottled Water Vs Tap Water

Imagine in 5 years time stepping outside to get in your car and you are being attacked by plastic bottles! Yes its true plastic bottles are taking over land fills everywhere on the planet.

Water is an important source in this world and it is a source that all of us humans need. Without water we wouldn’t be living today. Water comes in many different ways but the most common and the most talked about topic is, Bottled Water or Tap Water? There are many debates on which type of water is safer, better in taste, and what is more convenient. The question is usually what tastes better. I read in the article “is tap water as safe as bottled water?” “Tap water and bottled water are generally comparable in terms of safety. So the choice of tap or bottled is mostly a matter of personal preference.” (Zeratsky) I completely agree with this statement. Everyone has his or her own opinions.

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?

Water is an essential part to human life. We as humans need around eight to twelve cups per day to make up for the fact that throughout normal functions such as breathing and sweating we lose an average of ten cups per day. To make sure that we are healthy and everything runs properly, we must make sure we drink the right amount of water (msnbc.com, 2004). The one question when thinking about water is what type of water will you drink? The biggest controversy is bottled water vs. tap water. Many people in the world today are switching from drinking tap water to drinking bottled water. The number of people who drink bottled water has been rising over the past few decades and by an average of 7% per year. A

In Peter Gleick’s “Selling Bottled Water: The Modern Medicine Show” and Cynthia Barnett’s “Business in a Bottle”, bottled water is argued to be an excessive commodity falsely advertised as healthier and more beneficial than tap water to society and the environment. Both authors discuss that bottled water is actually equivalent in quality to tap water and in some cases even more hazardous to the human body. Public water itself is a less expensive resource that is more accessible to the masses. However, due to fraudulent companies focused on profit and the lack of effective oversight, people are deterred from realizing that there does not need to be an alternative to municipal water. Gleick

The controversy of bottled water verse tap water can be argued on both sides. However, tap water is the better alternative in the long run. Some may say there is a distinct taste difference between the two, yet most can't tell. In a college classroom, a group of students completed an experiment where they tasted a variety of waters: Great Value, Zephyrhills, and tap water. Most students guessed incorrectly, not tasting a difference (Combass). Although people have concerns with tap water, it is the most convenient. Not only is tap water cheaper, it is the safest source that positively impacts our environment.

The chapter “Selling Bottled Water”, by Peter Gleick, works within the argument of Cynthia Barnett’s “Business in a Bottle”, which illustrates the superficial and deceptive image of bottled water, due to false advertising and pseudoscientific claims by greedy bottling companies. The companies take advantage of a free resource and make millions in profit. Although utilizing different styles, Gleick and Barnett’s grounds intertwine, exposing bottling companies’ manipulative tricks while opening the population’s eyes to the lie that bottled water is cleaner, healthier, and safer than tap water. Barnett focuses on specific bottling companies’ data and incorporates statistics for support, while Gleick separates his argument into various segments and provides a brief historical lesson on false advertising; these techniques expose the psychological effect of false advertising in the population and neatly organize the information proving false advertising exists.

Tap water does not have to taste like chlorine or sulfur, in fact, it tastes just as good if not better than bottled water. Fresh, clean water is not a rare commodity to come by these days. In fact, living in the U.S. we have the great privilege of having safe, great tasting water straight from the tap at given whim. No matter the composite make-up of the ground we pull it from, there are endless amounts of filters and purifiers at our disposal to even make water with high sulfur and iron concentrations taste good. Today it is now more ideal for people to grab their re/usable water bottle, fill it up with ice and water from the fridge, and head out for the day. Now you can find any water fountain, or even go into a restaurant with a drink station, and fill up with water; as most restaurants will not mind if you just fill up on some water.

The truth is that 25% of bottled water actually comes from public sources and is only sometimes decontaminated. According to an article titled Bottled Water vs. Tap Water, “For the consumer, bottled water is significantly more expensive than tap water.” This highlights the inconvenience of bottled water. First, you have to drive in your car and pollute the air with carbon monoxide from your car to get to the store. Furthermore, you have to buy a heavy package of water bottles that you would otherwise get for free from your kitchen sink.

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

Society says people should drink eight glasses of water a day, however no one has told us

“Mom can you grab me a bottle of water for my game?” Did you ever think that grabbing a bottle of water may put you in danger? A latest report by NRDC, tested 1,000 bottles of water and 103 brands. They found out that ⅓ of them had chemicals or bacteria in them. Now that I have read a couple articles I now know that tap water is safer to drink than bottled water. The first reason is that the company’s making the bottles are wasting plastic. Also if we use water from our tap, it will be free instead of buying new bottles every time we run out. If you read my essay you will know why I think tap water is better.

"In the jungle, / the mighty jungle, / the lion sleeps tonight," without clean drinking water (Linda and Weiss). The sad truth about this Earth is millions of its people go every day without clean drinking water. Here in America we have a blessing that goes unappreciated; tap water. Tap water is better than bottled water because it is an extreme money saver, while being very convenient for the average busy American, and it is better for the environment. Tap water is more benefic

Many people believe that their source of water does not matter and has little or no consequences. Most of those people argue that all water is the same but for those worried about our environment, bottled water is highly wasteful because they believe it’s more appealing because it might be contaminated. The reason this should be important to our society is that good clean water is fundamental to a good health. Our current generations purchase their water because they have been convinced that the specific liquid is the purest drink around. But they can’t really say that until they truly know where their water is coming from. Labels can be extremely misleading and deceptive like in one case where a company claimed their water came from pure

There are articles, flyers, and even books out in the market that try to persuade people to either use bottled water or tap water. While many believe that tap water is more beneficial to the body, others believe that the convenience and advertising of purified bottled water is acceptable enough for themselves. As we consume water, we concern ourselves with issues such as if it is harmful to the environment, if it is harmful to our health and whether the product is convenient for us. Ultimately, the choice is personal because both sides provide pros and cons to these issues.