Bottled water or tap? Here’s why your choice matters.
The bottled water industry generates high levels of plastic pollution, carbon emissions, and waste—and it’s no better for you than tap water in most parts of the country. (Photo Source: Unsplash/Jonathan Chng)
San Francisco moved to ban bottled water in 2014, citing the enormous waste generated by plastic bottles and the fact that tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water. Five years later it banned bottled water sales in its airport. City fathers and mothers hoped it might spark a national repudiation of bottled water.
Instead, the city remains among the very few to outlaw bottled water, and US demand for it has not only remained strong but almost doubled in the past 10 years. In 2020, Americans bought 15 billion gallons of it. The popularity of bottled water has also skyrocketed globally with 1 million plastic water bottles bought around the world every minute.
The main drivers behind the soaring consumption of bottled water include the growing awareness that drinking sugary soft drinks and juices is bad for our health. But it’s also the result of marketing. Since the 1970s, when Perrier orchestrated a $35 million campaign to promote “Earth’s soft drink,” many bottled water fans believe it’s safer to drink than tap water.
This is certainly true for those living in areas with water contamination concerns. The World Health Organization and Unicef reported that in 2017 more than 785 million people did not have access to at least basic water services and more than 884 million people did not have safe water to drink.
But for the vast majority of Americans, who consume more bottled water than any other nation, tap water is virtually identical to bottled water. In some cases, tap water can actually be safer and healthier since it is tested and regulated more frequently. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires multiple daily tests for bacteria in public water supplies, and makes results available to the public.
Tap water in most big cities must be disinfected, filtered to remove pathogens, and tested for cryptosporidium and giardia viruses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water sold nationally, doesn’t have to. It requires only weekly testing and does not share its findings with the EPA or the public.
Worth noting: Water sourced from private wells are not subject to any kind of screening. Some public sources are also improperly regulated—see Flint, Michigan. (Find if your local tap water is safe to drink here.)
Want more reasons to swap bottled water for tap water? Here are seven.
The trouble with bottled water
Most bottled water is actually tap water—about sixty four percent by some estimates. Many bottled water brands simply repackage tap water, and make a killing on it. Coca-Cola owns Dasani, PepsiCo owns Aquafina and LIFEWTR, Nestle owns PureLife and Poland Spring, among others. They use a filtering process that experts say leaves the water no healthier or safer than before.
Bottled water is way more expensive than tap water. Costs can vary but in 2016, Food and Water Watch found that one gallon of bottled water costs about $9.50 compared to a half penny for a gallon of tap water.
Plastic water bottles account for a significant portion of the plastic pollution and waste around the world. (Photo Source: Unsplash/Rebecca Bliklen)
It takes lots of fossil fuels to produce a plastic bottle. More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce enough plastic water bottles to meet America’s annual demand for bottled water, according to Earth Policy Resources.
Plastic bottles also take lots of water to make. Around 1.39 liters of water are needed to produce a 1 liter bottle.
Making plastic bottles generates greenhouse gases. In addition to the fossil fuels used to create plastic, it’s estimated that producing 1 pound of plastic emits about 3 pounds of carbon dioxide. “The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution,” according to Harvard University’s Office for Sustainability.
Very few plastic bottles are recycled. Less than 30% of plastic bottles are recycled in the U.S., and most of those are downcycled, which describes the process of remaking material into a lower quality item. These items typically can’t be recycled again.
The bottles could also pose a health risk. Phthalates, chemicals known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap, there are no legal limits in bottled water.
Sarah Chang is a Stone Pier Press News Fellow based in Roseland, NJ.
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