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Bottled or Tap Water: Which is Better?

Posted on Thu Jul 19 2007

By: Jessica Taylor-Cassan in Theories

Bottled water is a growing trend in today’s fast-paced society, but it is a trend which is harmful to the world around us. Drinking water from the tap is measurably better for the environment, and contrary to popular belief it is just as healthy to drink. There are many reasons that contribute to the growing popularity of bottled water over tap water, but what many people don’t realize is that it all comes down to hype. Large bottled water brands spend millions of dollars on marketing every year to promote their brands, while tap water does not have a marketing team and budget to promote drinking it. The advertising for bottle water leaves many people with the impression that it is a healthier and more refreshing alternative to tap water, but this is just a myth that the companies like to support.

Drinking water from the tap is better for our environment for the following reasons:

There is no carbon footprint. Bottled water is sometimes shipped from different continents, which adds huge amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With tap water you get instant, and basically free delivery which does not have to be transported across the country or the world.

Not all water bottles make it to the recycling plant. About 80% of plastic water bottles end up in a landfill where they are left to decompose naturally or burned which releases harmful pollutants into the air.

Plastic bottles are hard to break down. It takes an estimated 1000 years for one plastic water bottle to decompose. With North Americans consuming on average 166 bottles of water a year that can leave quite a mark on the environment.

There are many benefits of drinking tap water instead of bottled water. Bottled water is much more expensive, harmful to the environment, and not any better for a person’s health than tap water is. In fact many popular brands of bottled water like Dasani simply sell tap water that has been filtered and put into bottles. With your own filtrations system, you can easily do the same for significantly less money and harmful environmental impact. A good place to compare and shop for water filtration systems is, http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm , where you can find a variety of models and price ranges, along with descriptions, retailers, and upkeep pricing. Tap water also contains fluoride which most bottled water does not. Fluoride is a key component to healthy, strong teeth.

Bottled water is often more convenient than tap water because tap water is not always available when you want it. If you are going on a hike or working out, bottled water is much easier to drink. However you do not have to use the bottled water sold in disposable bottles with brand names. It is just as easy and more economically and environmentally friendly to buy a reusable water bottle and refill it. There is often concern about the safety of reusing water bottles because of the bacteria that can gather around the opening. Make sure that your water bottle is washed carefully after each use and you won’t have to worry about this. It is just like any other reusable dish that has to be kept clean. You should also check the content of the plastic to make sure it is not harmful. Some types of plastic can leach out into the water causing it to taste bad and possibly be harmful to your health. http://www.sportsbottleworld.com/?s=g&kw=bottles+water is a website dedicated to offering a wide range of water bottles from many different manufacturers. If you are looking for a certain kind of water bottle you can most likely find it and order it here.

All in all drinking water from the tap just makes more sense. It is better for the environment which is ultimately better for us. It follows the same health standards as bottled water. It is cheaper than bottled water, and can often be just as convenient. Tap water has been proven to taste just as good as bottled water with many taste tests and can easily be filtered if it does not. If you are traveling to another country where the public health standards are not monitored, it is wise to stick to bottled water, which has not been opened, for personal health reasons. In this country where fresh water is abundant and readily supplied there is no reason not to drink the water from our taps.

Alternatives to Bottled Water

Earth Water - a new take on the same old bottle...

Comments

Suzie Que johnson Says:

this is very lovely.

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