Which is Better: Tap Water or Bottled Water?

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The government requires products labeled “spring water” to come from an identifiable source, but that source doesn’t have to be a pristine wilderness. NRDC tested one brand of “spring water” labeled with a picture of a mountain lake: It actually flowed from an industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site.

Up to 40 percent of bottled water comes from municipal taps, and testing requirements for bacteria and chemical contaminents are less frequent and less rigorous that those for city tap water. On the other hand, manufacturers can only label water “purified” or “distilled” if it has been treated, and it’s usually cheaper—a good option to buy or store for emergencies.

That “plastic” taste

Some unsavory chemicals from plastic water bottles can leach into the contents, particularly if the plastic is scratched, heated or degraded. These include bisphenol-A, a component of #7 polycarbonate (the plastic found in many baby bottles and reusable sports bottles), and plasticizers known as phthalates, which may disrupt hormones and have been found to leach from bottles made of #1 PET (polyethylene terepthalate—the plastic used for most disposable water bottles) after nine months of storage. In 2000, the Consumers Union found bisphenol-A in water from 8 out of 10 five-gallon polycarbonate water jugs.

While it’s healthier for the environment to reuse plastic water bottles, check them for signs of wear and wash them well to prevent bacterial buildup. Don’t leave water in them for too long or let them heat up. Some harder plastic bottles are better than others. Lightweight stainless-steel bottles are better still.

Whether we drink bottled water for health reasons or not, plastic containers weigh heavily on the earth. It takes more than 1.5 million barrels of oil a year to make enough PET plastic water bottles for the American market, according to the Earth Policy Institute. Even though PET plastic is recyclable in many locations, about 90 percent of used bottles—30 million a day—end up in landfills.

HOW TO CHOOSE A WATER FILTER

Installing a home water filter will remove the pollutants found in your tap water. Select one that’s certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (www.NSF.org). Here’s an overview of commonly used filters:

CARBON: Carbon, a porous material, absorbs impurities as the water passes through.
Carbon may be included in carafe or pitcher filters, faucet-mounted models, undersink models, and whole-house or point-of-entry systems.

CERAMIC: Often combined with carbon filters, these help remove bacteria,asbestos and sediments.

REVERSE OSMOSIS: These systems push water through a semipermeable membrane, which acts as an extremely fine filter. However, they waste four to nine gallons of water for every gallon filtered.

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