BOTTLED DRINKING WATER – SOURCES AND CONTENTS

People in the United States spent an estimated $11 billion in 2006 on more than eight billion gallons of bottled drinking water. Dividing that figure by the U.S. population, you will find that the average person consumed almost 28 gallons of bottled drinking water. We drank more bottled drinking water than milk, coffee, or beer.

Did we know the source of that bottled drinking water? Did we know what was in it? “The consumer doesn’t seem to care about source,” said Gary Hemphill, managing director of New York’s Beverage Marketing Corp., top compiler of beverage industry statistics. “As long as it tastes good.”

We should care about source, though. We should care about where bottlers get the water, and what they put into it before they sell it to us.

Facts about Bottled Drinking Water

Get the facts before you buy. Know the source and content of your bottled drinking water. Not all bottled drinking waters are the same. Even though the bottle shows flowing rivers or mountain vistas, you must read the label carefully to know if the water came from mountain springs or municipal pipes.

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1. Bottled drinking water can be tap water.

In 2004, Coca-Cola introduced Dasani bottled drinking water to Great Britain. Within weeks, British newspapers discovered that Dasani was simply processed tap water. Then bromate, a cancer-causing chemical was discovered in Dasani produced in Britain.

Three years later, all of Europe remains a Dasani-free zone. Most Americans are probably unaware that Dasani, like much of our bottled drinking water, does not bubble forth from pristine mountain springs.

It flows from the same water pipes that deliver tap water to city kitchens and bathrooms. Dasani passes through a filtering process and, according to Coke, is “enhanced” with minerals, but it is simply tap water. Aquafina bottled drinking water also comes from municipal pipes.

2. Bottled drinking water can be spring water.

FDA guidelines define spring water as water that flows naturally to the surface from underground. Spring water is not indicated on a label. Unfortunately, even if the label does say “spring water”, you have no assurance that the water is pure.

FDA rules allow bottlers to call bottled drinking water “spring water” even when it is brought to the surface from a pumped well, and is treated with chemicals.

The actual source of the water may not be the pristine spring we imagine. One company label observed read “Spring Water” (picturing a lake surrounded by mountains), but the water actually was found to come from an industrial parking lot near a hazardous waste site!

3. Bottled drinking water can be mineral water.

FDA guidelines state that mineral water also comes from underground, but contains at least 250 parts per million of dissolved solids such as minerals and trace elements.

Mineral waters have a stronger taste, which some prefer. No minerals may be added to this product, and those that exist naturally should be safe. Some sources, however, may contain lead.

4. Bottled drinking water can contain additives.

Bottlers add fluoride to some bottled drinking water, but the label doesn’t tell you. Some bottlers add disinfectants, but the label says nothing about them. Bottled drinking water may contain added minerals and vitamins. It may contain added electrolytes.

According to the FDA, "bottled water" is water that has been sealed in bottles or other containers with no additions - except for a sustainable form of packaging suitable antimicrobial agent. Fluoride also may be added within FDA limits.

5. Bottled drinking water can be impure.

The FDA regulates bottled drinking water, which is classified a “food”. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates tap water. It is amazing to learn that the EPA guidelines for municipal water are more strict than the FDA's guidelines for bottled water!

Water that is approved by the FDA for use in bathroom taps might not be acceptable for use in bottled drinking water. Tests for the Cryptosporidium parasite aren’t even recommended by the FDA for bottled drinking water.

Plastic bottles in which your bottled drinking water comes are stamped on the bottom with a number in a triangle. Most bottles are #1, which means they are made of a plastic that leaches into the bottled drinking water.

6. Bottled drinking water can be costly.

Beverage Marketing Corp. says a typical half-liter (approximately 2 cups) of bottled drinking water sells for about one dollar in the U.S. At that rate, we are paying about $7.50 per gallon when we buy bottled drinking water in those convenient bottles.

Cheaper by the case or in 5-gallon jugs delivered to the home, your bottled drinking water still may be costing you $50 or more monthly. As I write this, regular, unleaded gas averages less than $2 per gallon, according to AAA. Bottled drinking water is not inexpensive.

Good bottled drinking water does exist, but consider the above facts before making your purchase. Also consider that municipal tap water is not necessarily a great or even acceptable option.

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