Food - News
The Real Difference Between Tap Water And Bottled Water
By HANNA CLAESON
In 2018, bottled water was the most popular beverage in the United States, yet, according to Food and Water Watch, up to 64% of bottled water comes from municipal water systems. Knowing where bottled water comes from, how is it then different from regular tap water?
The EPA claims that 92% of tap water in the United States is safe, but in various cities — like Flint, MI, Pittsburg, Newark, and Brady, TX — tap water was found to be heavily contaminated. However, this doesn’t make bottled water automatically safer, as it may also be contaminated with chemicals, microplastics, and bacteria.
Another difference between tap and bottled water is regulation. The EPA regulates all tap water, but the FDA — which regulates bottled water — fails to regulate water packaged and sold within a single state, leaving 60 to 70% of bottled water sold within the states significantly unregulated.
Bottled water is also not environmentally-friendly, compared to tap water, since roughly 80% of plastic water bottles in the U.S. are not recycled, and take years to biodegrade. Additionally, 17 million barrels of oil are used per year to produce bottled water, and at least 1.39 liters of water to produce a single liter of it.