Is Tap Water Cleaner Than Bottled Water Sold at Stores? Discover the Truth

Is Tap Water Cleaner Than Bottled Water Sold at Stores? Discover the Truth by Dewayne Blalock


Many people are wondering is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at stores. The reason they are wondering? It is most likely due to all of the reports about contaminants that have been found in some brands. The store brands seem to be particularly bad.

The Environmental Working Group, a watchdog group for public safety, paid to have a number of brands tested by independent laboratories. The results showed that some brands contain higher levels of toxins and contaminants than are allowed by public treatment facilities. It depends on where you live, of course. But, if you live in the US, regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency require public treatment facilities to test regularly for certain toxins. If they are over a certain level, they must take action.

Does that mean "yes" is the answer to; is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at stores? Actually both of them are pretty bad. The biggest job performed by public treatment facilities is disinfection. Without appropriate disinfection methods, there would be outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne illnesses in the US, similar to what you see in other countries. The amount of bacteria in public supplies must be closely monitored.

The production of bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. There are allowable levels of e-coli and other types of bacteria, as well as cysts. The FDA is apparently understaffed and needs to be restructured, according to recent news reports. It is said that problems in the agency are dangerous to public health.

That leads many people to wonder is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at stores. It does seem that the regulations regarding the public treatment facilities are more stringent than those concerning the bottling companies. The FDA apparently does not have enough inspectors to regularly visit bottling factories. So, who really knows what's in that bottle?

We do know that chlorine is present in most tap-water. We also know that THMs are present in all public water, because they are chemicals that form during any disinfection process. THMs increase a person's cancer risk. How much? Estimates vary from 40-80% increased risk for people exposed to THMs as compared to people that are not.

If you are wondering is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at stores, the real answer is that neither of them is a safe option. The best option is to install a purifier on your kitchen sink. It tastes best if it is stored in glass containers. So, invest in some of those. Glass does not leach contaminants into the water. So, it is your best option for a drinking-water container.

To judge the effectiveness of a purifier before you buy it, read the label and be sure that it removes 99% or more of all THMs and chlorine. Once you have a purifier, there is no need to wonder is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at stores. You know that you have the cleanest water available.

About the Author

Dewayne Blalock is a long time researcher of consumer products. Visit his website now to discover cutting edge water purification products he recommends after countless hours of research: http://www.pure-safe-clean-water.com/