Tap Water vs. Bottled Water Purity

According to ABC News, most bottled water is nothing more than reprocessed tap water. And, according to the Mayo Clinic, tap and bottled water are comparable in terms of safety (unless you live in a place where the water is known to be contaminated). In fact, tap water is regulated under more stringent standards than bottled water. If you’re still not convinced about the quality of your tap water, you could filter your tap water and still save significant money over the cost of bottled water. 

The Cost of Drinking Water Tap Water vs. Bottled Water

Bottled water costs approximately 2,000 – 3000 times more than tap water, and Americans drink millions of gallons of it every year. If you drink 64 oz. of water daily, you would consume about three 20 oz. bottles per day. Assuming each bottle costs $1, it would cost $3 per day or $1,095 per year. The same amout of tap water would cost $0.48 per year. That’s right – tap water would cost $0.48 annually vs. $1,095 annually for bottled water.

Safety and Taste

Although most plastics are now marketed as BPA-free, research has found that plastic bottles may contain BPS instead which is a chemical similar to BPA, causing the same disruption of hormone signaling as BPA.

Experts caution that extreme heating of plastics should be avoided to minimize leaching of chemicals from the plastic. The U.S. Food ad Drug Administration recommends storing bottled water in a cool, dry place, away from household solvents, fuels , other chemicals, and direct sunlight. In comparison, glass and stainless steel water containers are very inert and don’t leach anything into the water. 

Time after time, tap water has been rated as better tasting than bottled water in blind taste tests.

Convenience

Many people choose bottled water for convenience, but obtaining a reusable glass bottle or stainless steel thermos and filling it from the tap doesn’t take much time and is both cheaper and better for the environment. Even the U.S. Transportation Security Administration recommends bringing an empty container with you and filling it once inside security to reduce waste and save money. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/travel-tips/going-green-while-traveling-through-airport-security.

Humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute in total. Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, averaging about 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S. and only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S.

Impact

It is estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean annually on top of the 150 million metric tons that currently circulate in our marine environments. That’s like dumping one garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute of every day for an entire year. That much plastic is bound to impact our environment, our ecosystems, and our health.

Solution

By using a reusable water bottle and filling it with tap water, you could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.

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