Tip of the Week

B.Y.O. Water

I've got a question for you: Why do Americans shell out up to 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than we do for tap?

Perhaps we've given in to the marketing and advertising hype that bottled water comes from pristine springs and lakes. This isn't often the case, however. According to government and industry estimates, about one fourth of bottled water is bottled tap water (sometimes, but not always, with additional treatment). Aquafina, for example, is drawn from the municipal water supplies of Detroit, Fresno, and other cities.

Or maybe we're drawn to the taste or the perception that bottled water is better regulated, safer or purer than tap water. Again, the truth lies somewhere else: bottled water is not regulated as strictly as tap water. In fact, unlike tap water, regulations allow bottled water to contain some contamination by E.coli or fecal coliform and don't require disinfection for Cryptosporidium or Giardia. There is also the problem, as tests have shown, that unhealthy chemicals can migrate from plastic bottles into the water.

Another big problem with bottled water is it takes huge amounts of resources and energy to make the plastic bottles and creates mountains of plastic waste. In 2004, to produce the plastic bottles that delivered 26 billion litres of water to Americans required more than 1.5 million barrels of oil - enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.

What to do?
Avoid single use containers of bottled water.
Test the tap water at your home and if need be, purchase a filter. (See The Green Guide's Water Filters Product Report for more information).
Bring Your Own Water with you in reusable plastic (preferably #2, HDPE), stainless steel or ceramic containers. Most are designed to fit in your pocket book, brief case or backpack. (See The Green Guide's Plastic Containers Product Report for specific water container suggestions).

© The Green Guide, 2008

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