Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water?

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Article Title:

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Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water?

Article Description:

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As more studies come to light that bring the long-term safety of

tap water into question, many people find themselves wondering if

bottled water is the better choice for consumption, cooking,

tooth brushing and more. When the facts about bottled water and

tap water are presented, many people make the decision to go

bottled. While tap water can and often is technically safe

according to government standards, the trace substances found

within can be of grave concern.

Additional Article Information:

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884 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2008-04-24 11:00:00

Written By: Jon M. Stout

Copyright: 2008

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Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water?

Copyright © 2008 Jon M. Stout

Element H2O

http://www.elementh2o.com

As more studies come to light that bring the long-term safety of

tap water into question, many people find themselves wondering if

bottled water is the better choice for consumption, cooking,

tooth brushing and more. When the facts about bottled water and

tap water are presented, many people make the decision to go

bottled. While tap water can and often is technically safe

according to government standards, the trace substances found

within can be of grave concern.

Concerns About Tap Water

The safety of tap water has long been a major concern for

government agencies and the general public, as well. The

potential pollutants that can find their way into the public

water supply are quite extensive.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires public water

suppliers to test for more than 90 different types of

contaminants. Despite the rigorous testing procedures that are in

place in most jurisdictions, many public water supplies fail - in

some cases, multiple times.

The Hillsborough County Water Department, since renamed Water

Resource Services, suffered from multiple system failures in the

early 2000s. This seemingly well regulated water supplier,

serving the Tampa Bay area, suffered from repeated coliform

contaminations and even an e. coli scare. This system is not

alone in its failure to meet federal regulations despite the use

of chloramines and other chemicals that are designed to remove

potential hazards from potable water.

While the EPA does require extensive testing and requires each

public water supplier to provide full disclosure in the form of

an annual report to water users, government regulations do not

cover every eventuality. This was made quite evident thanks to a

recent Associated Press study that revealed the presence of

pharmaceuticals in the public water supply in jurisdictions all

over the United States. The investigation turned up evidence that

shows some 41 million Americans might be impacted by medications

found within their water.

The five-month study focused on water systems throughout the

United States and found contamination - including antibiotics,

anticonvulsants and more - in some 24 different metro areas.

While the medications were found in trace amounts, the long-term

impacts of consuming the water are unclear, the AP reported.

The medications themselves are thought to enter into the public

water supplies via natural human elimination. Toilet water, which

would contain traces of medication, is flushed and sent to

wastewater treatment facilities. From here, treated wastewater is

released back into the environment. Eventually, that same water

ends up back in rivers, reservoirs, lakes and aquifers, which are

the sources of public drinking water.

While the public water supply is well regulated and the water

does undergo a great deal of treatment, systems are subject to

failure. The long-term impacts of such failures remain unclear.

The Bottled Water Difference

Bottled water offers a distinct difference over tap water in a

number of cases. While it's true that some bottled waters do

come from the public water supply, many factors can make it

distinctly unique and even a great deal safer.

According to the International Bottled Water Association, there

are a number of things that make bottled water the better choice.

Even in regard to the trace medicines found in tap water, Dr.

Edberg of Yale's School of Medicine says that bottled

water undergoes processes that are quite effective in protecting

against the substances the AP reported finding in tap water.

Some of the measures that can help make bottled water stand out

above tap include:

* Regulations - Just like tap water, bottled water is regulated

by government agencies. While tap is overseen by the EPA, bottled

water is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This

organization requires that bottled water manufacturers adhere to

the FDA's inspection, labeling, safety and quality requirements.

* Extra treatment - Most bottled water products undergo further

treatments beyond what the public water supply is subjected to.

Treatment can include reverse osmosis, filtration, distillation

and more, depending on the particular supplier and the type of

water in question.

* Labeling laws - Companies that do not choose to further treat

their bottled water beyond what public water suppliers perform

are required by the FDA to clearly say so in their labels.

* IBWA standards - Companies that belong to the International

Bottled Water Association must adhere to strict standards that go

beyond what the federal government requires. Members are

subjected to plant inspections once a year that help insure that

standards are being met.

While bottled water can start out the same as tap, it often

undergoes further treatment that is designed to make it the safer

choice.

Purified Is Often The Best

If concerns about contaminants in the public water supply are

high, purified bottled water is often one of the best choices to

make for drinking and more. This type of bottled water is more

heavily treated. The distillation process that is required to

create distilled oxygenated water, for example, is designed to

remove impurities and create a cleaner, safer source of drinking

water.

Answering the question of which is better bottled or tap often

comes down to personal choice in regard to taste. If cleaner,

safer water is desired, however, the facts about bottled make the

answer quite clear. Thanks to the extra treatments many bottled

waters are subjected to, this option stands out against the

competition.

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Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Board of Element H2O.

For more information about bottled water

(http://www.elementh2o.com/Store/), private label

bottled water and (http://www.elementh2o.com/local/)

bottled water delivery go to http://www.elementh2o.com