Bottled Water – Is it Really Better for You?

Bottled water, is it better? Are people spending their money unwisely and could there be a better option?

According to the National Water Quality Association, 56% of all people are worried about the quality of municipally
treated tap water.

This, along with the desire for better tasting drinking water, has fueled tremendous growth in the bottled
water industry.

We can all remember, not too long ago, when the bottled water section at the grocery store consisted of a
very small allotment of counter space, primarily devoted to a few gallon jugs of distilled water. Today,
bottled water enjoys a major section of the beverage isle and the prestige of being the fastest growing segment
of the entire beverage industry, not to mention the most profitable.

This article courtesy of Aquasana Water Enhancement Products
it will change the way you live.

Bottled Water – A Big Business

The bottled water industry has become the target of some of the largest corporations in the world. Chlorox
Bleach Co., Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola are just a few of the recent entrees capitalizing on this highly lucrative
market, with Chlorox being the biggest participant in the bottled water business. Pepsi Cola’s “Aquafina” and
Coca Cola’s “Dasana” almost instantly became each company’s most profitable product!

If we just take a common sense look at the companies controlling this industry, who are certainly not known
for their health consciousness, we will begin to understand the misconception that has been created around
the quality of bottled water. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each week on advertising campaigns
to give the perception that these bottled waters come from some pristine mountain spring, when in reality
many of them come from a municipal water system just like your tap water does. Both Pepsi’s Aquafina and
Coke’s Dasana are bottled at one of many bottling plants across America where municipal water is used as
the source, as is the case with many leading brands.

Bottled Water Regulators

The regulations that govern bottled water only require it to be as good as tap water. There are no assurances
or requirements that bottled be of any higher quality than tap, and according to some recent studies, it
may often be of lower quality.

In March of 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report called “Bottled Water,
Pure Drink or Pure Hype?” and petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for improvements in the
FDA’s bottled water regulation program. The changes called for would simply require that the FDA’s bottled
water rules be “no less stringent” than EPA’s tap water guidelines and “no less protective
of public health”. NRDC ‘s report points out that as much as 40% of all bottled water is actually tap
water in a bottle.

FDA Guidelines on Bottled Water

The report also focuses on the fact that 60 to 70% of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from FDA’s
bottled water standards, because the Federal Standards do not apply to water bottled and sold within the
same state.

Only water that is transported across a state line is required to meet federal standards.

Bottled water companies have used this loop hole to avoid complying with basic health standards, such as those
that apply to municipally treated tap water. Also, all carbonated or sparkling waters are completely exempt
from FDA guidelines that set specific contamination limits.

According to the NRDC study, even when bottled waters are covered by FDA’s specific bottled water standards,
those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA rules that apply to big city tap water.” For instance,
if we compare EPA regulations for tap water to FDA’s bottled water rules: (these examples are quotes from
the NRDC’s official report)

City tap water can have no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include
no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water).
City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no federal
filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water.
Most cities using surface water have had to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens,
that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, yet bottled water companies do not have to do
this.
City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate
(a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); some in the industry persuaded FDA
to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals.
City water systems must issue annual right to know reports, telling consumers what is in their water.
Bottlers successfully killed a right to know requirement for bottled water.

The Natural Resources Defense Council report concluded that Therefore, while much tap water is indeed risky,
having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water
is any safer than tap water. (The NRDC report on bottled water can be found at NRDC.Org) The reality
of bottled water is that people pay from $1 to $4 a gallon for the perception of higher quality, when in
fact, the quality of bottled water is at best unknown! We have no way of knowing the actual quality of bottled
water.

Point-of-Use water treatment, or bottleless water coolers, with a quality in home water filtration system, is by far the most economical, the most convenient and the most capable of producing the highest quality, healthy water.

Is Their a better choice?

Removing the chlorine and other contaminants at the point of use, just prior to consumption, in your own home,
with a system that is documented to produce healthy water just makes more sense. With a home water filter
you can have guaranteed quality for about .10 a gallon vs. $1 to $4 a gallon for bottled. Like the saying
says “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself”, and that’s certainly the case
when it comes to something as important as our drinking water.

Aquasana Water Enhancement Products –
It will change the way you live