Bottled water vs. tap water. The choice may not seem as important as hybrid vs. SUV or even incandescent vs. CFL, but there are few decisions we face as frequently as the choice in drinking water. Each day, throughout the day, we have many options: the water fountain, filtered tap, bottled water, sparkling…and more!

The latest wave of attention focused on the plastic of the water bottle, specifically Bisphenol-A (BPA). This chemical has been linked to serious health risks like breast cancer. While health organizations are split on whether it poses a real threat, companies like Nalgene have already responded by removing BPA from its products.

However, let’s ignore the plastic and focus on the water.

Is the water within the bottle different from what we get from the tap? Yes.

Water, water everywhere, but only 1% to drink.

Water is an essential nutrient for healthy living. Our bodies are 60% water and need constant replenishment to perform vital bodily processes. Humans can live for weeks without food, but only days without water. Unfortunately, water is an increasingly scarce resource.

Even though 79% of the earth’s surface is water, only 3% of it is fresh water. Of that three percent, 2/3 is held in ice and undrinkable. In other words, only one percent of the water on the planet is fresh water and accessible. This small amount of water is increasingly threatened by desertification, overuse, and pollution.

Bottled water is another threat.

Companies that produce bottled water do so by privatizing the water source. Privatization is the process of changing a government owned system, such as public water, into one that is private with a for-profit agenda. Buying the public’s water source and bottling it exacerbates water scarcity. Another problem is that public water is repackaged and sold to those who can afford and access it.

The Tap Choice

Compared to bottled water, tap water is much less expensive, just as safe and more accessible.

Accessibility: Tap water runs in every building and water fountains are common in most public areas. If you’re going somewhere without water pipes, reusable water bottles can be filled beforehand.

Safety: Tap water is just as safe as bottled.

Cost: Bottled water is 500x more expensive than tap. Consider Dasani and Aquafina, two popular bottled waters, which are actually filled with reprocessed tap water. Makes you wonder what you’re paying for.

Taste: It’s objective, but multiple blind taste tests have shown that people cannot tell the difference between the two. Some believe using a filter, like Brita or Pur, helps with taste as well.

Status: Companies have worked very hard to create specific brands around their product, making a food product into an accessory. But that trend is reversing as more people buy and use reusable water bottles.

As consumers, we vote for our interests each time we use our dollars. Be a smart water drinker and vote for tap!

For more information, check out the following sources:

Environmental Working Group: a non-profit public information organization with extensive research on BPA
Blue Gold: a book and movie following the world’s water wars
Planet Green: take the water IQ quiz and learn more about water conservation

Image courtesy of cap.nsw.edu.au

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