« Tom Watson Might Not Have Won in Scotland, But He is Still A Winner | Main | Cable Organizers Marathon Chronicles »
Why Bottled Water May Leave You Thirsty for Tap Water
By Christina | July 23, 2009
For the smart consumers that we usually are, it surprises me how bamboozled we have become by the brilliant marketing of bottled water. Even if we don’t necessarily go so far as to think bottled water comes out of the purest, most pristine springs and that tap water comes from the sewers, most people would choose to drink bottled water over tap water from the sink any day if given the choice between the two.
In fact, I have friends that have bought into the bottled water mania to the extreme that they won’t even cook with tap water or give their dogs tap water in their water bowls. The truth is that this obsession over bottled water is not only expensive, but could be detrimental to our health and our environment in the long run. Tap water might just be the most healthy, convenient, affordable option when it comes to our drinking water.
A comprehensive scientific 4 year study conducted by the National Resources Defense Council revealed some shocking results about the purity and quality of bottled water. No matter how fancy the name or price of the bottle, 22% of 1000 water bottles from all different brands were found to have a contaminated sample. The unfortunate reality is that bottled water is not subject to the same strict regulations that tap water is. Your city tap water not only has to meet rigorous quality standards locally, but also has to pass strict state and federal guidelines for lack of contamination. Bottled water has none of these requirements. The water in your fancy bottle can be called anything from spring water to distilled water to pure water. None of it means anything in terms of purity and cleanliness.
The marketing of bottled water has been sheer genius. Think about it. It is not even in a kid’s vernacular nowadays to run to the kitchen sink and get a glass of water. This overconsumption of bottled water by people around the world is mind-blowing in terms of being an environmental disaster. A staggering 86% of 30 billion water bottles sold annually never even make it to the recycling bin. The fact that our landfills are being swallowed up by ridiculous amounts of water bottles that are virtually environmentally indestructible is incredible. It is especially frightening when the reasons behind our bottled water obsession don’t match up to the reality of how potentially unclean the water in those bottles really is.
Bottled water is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You never really know what you are drinking ahead of time. What I do know for sure is that the tap water from your sink is guaranteed to be safe. If that doesn’t help us abandon our multi billion dollar a year habit, then I don’t now what will.
Topics: Nutrition |
