Tap Water Vs Bottled Water

Bottled water has become a controversial topic as of late. There are always two sides to every argument, some think that bottled water is beneficial to society, whereas some people think that it is detrimental to society as a whole. Bottled water is detrimental to society because it costs the country an abundance of money. It is also harmful to society because it is damaging to the environment. A lack of sanitation in bottled water has also been connected to illnesses among people who drink it. Bottled water is in no way shape or form worth the price that one will spend financially, nor is it worth the gamble of becoming sick from all the harsh chemicals that come from the bottle itself.

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

Water is essential to life, scientific fact, not debatable (Tracy). More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly (Olsen). Many drink or buy bottled water simply because they believe it is of better quality, cleaner, and better tasting. On the contrary, several individuals do not know the cons of drinking bottled water. Today, there are many misconceptions and myths about bottled water. Many people are uneducated about what goes into our bottles and how it not only affects us but also our environment. In the article “The New Oil” by Jeneen Interlandi and Ryan Tracy they discuss the issues that have to do with water and the privatization of it. They believe there is a crisis and something has to be done. Due to the cost, pollution, shortage, and health issues, bottled water should be outlawed. Water should not be controlled by water bottle companies and should not be allowed to be sold in plastic bottles.

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 use of bottled water dates as far back as the year sixteen-hundred and twenty two in a town called Malvern in England. They would bottle and sell water from a site called the Holy Well because it was believed to having healing properties.() Nearly four hundred years later we still bottle water, but our reasons have changed from the superstitions of the seventeenth century. Yet despite the reason why being different, the idea is still rooted in superstition. In the modern day, instead of believing that bottled water has healing potential it has become the idea that only bottled water is safe to drink and that water from the tap is unclean and dangerous. These ideas were bred by companies looking to make money off a fear. The reality is that

According to the article Bottled Water vs. Tap Water by Jackie Dana, “It’s estimated that people spend $100 billion a year on bottled water, each American drinks 21 gallons per year, almost 2 gallons per month!” We see them everywhere but it is where we see them that is damaging to the environment, for instance, our streets, oceans, and not properly thrown out. These plastic bottles have become unneeded waste starting a global problem. There are better alternatives for carrying our everyday water that is less expensive and less harmful. For example, stainless steel, canteens, and other nonplastic containers.

Safety and cost are not the only issues standing in opposition to the bottled water

“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.

Tap water and bottled water are used in peoples lives daily. Yet, barely anybody seems to care for the difference between the two. The quality, price, accessibility and many other aspects areover looked in the decision for tap or bottled water. Another topic that seems to be shoved under the rug is the safety of tap water in the United States. But from investigative information it proves that there is no problem with drinking tap water in the United States.

Americans live in a consumer society where majority of products are packaged ready for use. This is attributed to the availability of disposable merchandise that is favorable and efficient in delivering the various products that are on demand. Among the various favorably consumed packed products is bottled water. It does not however, make sense for people to buy bottled water and throw the container away after they have emptied it. This is because the plastic bottles have a number of defects to the environment as well as to the general welfare of the economy. For example, in 1976 an average American drank 1.6 gallons of bottled water and since then the quantity has increased to an average of 30

Attention getter: “Every five minutes in the U.S over 2 million plastic bottles are used (Arrey).” Americans drink about 7 billion gallons of bottled water a year that’s about $8 billion dollars in sales per year (Arrey). We all drink bottled mineral water these days. We all like to think it's a far healthier option than tap water. It's extremely handy to be able to carry around your own water supply in in this hectic and fast paced world

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.

First off, tap water is safer than bottled water by any mean. According to "The Truth About Tap" by Andrew Postman. Postman states, "Tap water in big cities must be disinfected, filtered, and removed of pathogens … viruses. Bottle water does not have to be." In other words, there are billions of bottled water companies that are shipping, selling, and letting customers consume their product that may have never been examined by specialist. If the people just want ha glass of water. Just go out and buy a filter; as a result, leading to the perfect glass of water.

Have you ever had any concerns about bottled water? Do you think that bottled water consumption should be banned? Bottled water is water packed in plastic containers and sold for human consumption (Health Canada, 2013). Currently, the amount of bottled water consumed has increased considerably since many people feel it is safer drinking bottled water than tap water (Parent and Wrong, 2014). According to The Statistics Portal, the global sale of bottled water took a leap from 161, 589 to 181, 608 liters from 2009 to 2011. Only in the United States, each American citizen consumed around 32 gallons of bottled water in 2013, thus meaning an equivalent growth of 15, 94% over 2009 (The Statistics Portal, 2014). In fact, due to good portability, bottled water has been helpful in both simple and complex situations such as daily exercises and natural disasters. Even though having those few considerable advantages, bottled water still have been less beneficial; especially due to the negative impacts in the socio-economic, health and environmental fields.