Our lifestyles today are busier than ever. We’re constantly on the move, which means water is on the move as well. So many of us turn to bottled water because it’s easy, convenient and are told it’s better than tap water. While buying bottled water is often the easier choice, it’s not necessarily the best choice for your wallet, health or the environment. Instead, buy a good water bottle and use filtered water instead.
Here are 8 Surprising Facts You Should Know About Bottled Water:
- If you drink eight glasses of water each day, you’ll spend about 49 cents per year for tap water. If you buy the same amount of bottled water, it will cost about $1400 per year, which is 2,900 times more expensive. 1
- Americans drink more bottled water than any other nation, purchasing 29 billion bottles every year. 5
- The Earth Policy Institute estimates that the energy used to pump, process, transport and refrigerate bottled water is over 50 million barrels of oil annually. 2
- 25% to 30% of the bottled water sold in the United States comes from a city’s own tap water — sometimes further treated, sometimes not. 4
- There is no guarantee that what you’re buying is any safer than the tap water in your home. The EPA regulates our tap water and is held responsible for providing its source and showing quality reports. The FDA regulates bottled water, and its standards pale in comparison. There are less frequent tests for bacteria, no filtration or disinfection requirements on a federal level and no mandatory reports of violations by officials. 4
- Most disposable water bottles sold in the United States are made from #1 plastic, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved PET plastic as a safe food-contact material, repeated use of water bottles made from PET has been shown to increase harmful bacteria levels. Repeated hot-water washing and handling of PET water bottles may break down the plastic, leaching toxic compounds, such as DEHA, into the beverage inside. 5
- Only 1 in 6 plastic bottles gets recycled, while the rest end up in landfills. 3
- Americans empty 2.5 million plastic water bottles an hour. Each one takes 500 million years to decompose. 6
If you’re worried about the quality of your home’s tap water, installing a home water filtering system will provide you and your family with water that is much healthier than most types of bottled water. Test your water using a water testing kit to ensure that it is healthy to drink. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about the negative impact on the environment and you will save money in the long run over purchasing bottled water.
Guest Blog by Angel Water Conditioning, Inc., a Chicagoland Water Purification Company, is dedicated to educating people and finding solutions to provide access to safe water. www.angelwater.org