The Pros And Cons Of Bottled Water

Do you ever think bottled water is safer than tap water? You would be wrong. According to "Bottled Water: The Wrong Choice paragraph 4", it states that the city tap water companies must follow safe strict rules to make sure nothing in the water harms us. The bottles water

It would be assumed that it would be the least that bottled water companies could do is make sure that all pollutants are out of the water. “Alas, some bottled waters contain the same chemicals anyway- and they are, in any case, unavoidable”. (Standage, 663). It is said that contaminants are more likely to build up when it is transported in very hot conditions. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik). “The presence of organic contaminants in water is becoming a more common problem, mainly because of the impact that human activities are having on the natural environment”. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik). It is clear that it takes a lot of work to remove all contaminants from water. One slight error is all it takes for someone to be contaminated by harsh chemicals or bacteria. “The plastic components or additives in water can modify the organoleptic properties and, if present at high concentrations, may trigger health problems because of the potential toxic properties of some chemicals”. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik).

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?

In a qualitative study performed in the United Kingdom, “the majority of participants associated bottled water with having fewer impurities than tap water, and were more likely to trust the quality of bottled water than tap water” (Ward). Individuals with well water should also be attentive to the purity of their water supply, as it is not even held to regulation standard. Looking at the facts though, bottled water is regulated by Food and Drug Administration in equivalence to the Environmental Protection Agency who holds the public officials accountable for the standards of tap water (Hogan & Larsen). This is not to say, though, that there is not human error on both sides that can cause room for contamination of a drinking supply and jeopardize the safety of the

Tap water is healthier for you and the environment. People always say the bottled water has a better taste and better value than just regular tap water. Why do others say that tap water is bad for you because off all the germs and bacteria that can get inside of your tap water faucets. I believe that people are wrong about bottle water.

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.

As aforementioned, there are explanations to believe that bottled water does outweigh its repercussions. Thomas J. Lauria, author of “In Defense of Bottled Water”, states, “Bottled water provides a healthy choice when tap water is not accessible” (“In Defense of Bottled Water”). In this article, Lauria states that bottled water is a topic of great interest. He goes on to discuss that in the United States, “Adults consume 450 calories a day from beverages and sixty-eight percent of those twenty years old and older are classified as overweight or obese, bottled water provides a healthy choice when tap water is not accessible, preferred, or convenient” (“In Defense of Bottled Water”). Sure, this is fact and definitely a benefit to bottled water. Lauria continues to say that if bottled water is not offered then people will be more likely to choose soda, juices, or options similar to those. He says that banning bottled water will urge people to consume unhealthy beverages because

Answer = No, tap water is obviously healthier to consume then bottled water since there are less chemicals in it vs. the bottled water. I have also thought tap water was one of the worst things you could consume since I assumed tap water was dirty. I thought tap was dirty because it doesn’t go through filters like bottled water but, I was clearly wrong

Tap water is healthier than bottled water for many reasons like how they leave the bottled

Bottled water is extremely expensive. Why pay for water when we can have it for free at our disposable through our own water supply. In 2016 Americans drank over 30 billion bottles of water spending almost 12 billion dollars (Statistic Brain, 2016). Many people complain about our water supply, some say it taste like bleach, others say it has a metal after taste and some say they just do not trust it. Americans are spending money on water filters and also purchasing bottled water when in reality many bottled water companies are using tap water and purifying it themselves. The Safe Drinking Water Act was implemented to assure the American people that our water is clean and safe to ingest (Environmental Protection Agency, 2016).

Many people are laboring under the impression that bottled water is better than tap water. Contrary to popular belief, the latter is the superior of the two. Tap water is often overlooked, while people go straight for the bottled water. Some believe that tap water is harmful, when in fact, it is perfectly safe. Tap water is the better choice for countless reasons. Some of these being the vitamins and minerals found in tap water, the lower cost, and its convenience.

Imagine how much money we have wasted purchasing water bottles because we believed they were safer. When in reality it is a myth. Tap water, especially in the United States, is completely safe to drink. It is actually beneficial to your oral health because it contains fluoride.

Priscilla Torres goes on to describe the many downsides bottles of water bring to people as well as the environment in “Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water: Rethink What You Drink”. Torres first claims that the water bottles companies can be “misleading” (Torres) with where they tell the public of the waters source. In some cases, companies turn to flat out lying in their “labels” (Torres) and could be serving you potentially “hazardous” (Torres) products.

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.

The U.S. is the largest consumer market for bottled water in the world, followed by Mexico, China, and Brazil. Millions of Americans use bottled water as their primary source of drinking water and about a third of the public consumes it regularly. In fact, sales have tripled in the past 10 years, to about $4 billion a year. People spend over 240 times more per gallon for bottled water than they do for tap water. Do you know why? It’s because they put pretty pictures on the labels that make you think it’s some kind of special water. In one instance a label that had a lake and mountains on it, when it really came from a well in an industrial facility's parking lot. Only later to find out it was near a hazardous