Bottle Water or Tap Water?

Is Bottled Water Less Polluted? Nope. Is Bottled Water Subjected to Higher Health Standards than Tap Water? Nope. The FDA sets standards for bottled water, while the EPA sets standards for tap water. Tap water is tested for contaminants hundreds of times a month while bottled water gets tested only once a week. Here are a few shocking finds made [...]

Is Bottled Water Less Polluted?

Nope.

Is Bottled Water Subjected to Higher Health Standards than Tap Water?

Nope.

The FDA sets standards for bottled water, while the EPA sets standards for tap water. Tap water is tested for contaminants hundreds of times a month while bottled water gets tested only once a week.

Here are a few shocking finds made by the NRDC:

For example, one brand of “spring water” whose label pictured a lake and mountains, actually came from a well in an industrial facility’s parking lot, near a hazardous waste dump, and periodically was contaminated with industrial chemicals at levels above FDA standards.

According to government and industry estimates, about one fourth of bottled water is bottled tap water (and by some accounts, as much as 40 percent is derived from tap water)—sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not.

City tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria (bacteria that are indications of possible contamination by fecal matter). FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water).

Any violation of tap-water standards is grounds for enforcement—but bottled water in violation of standards can still be sold if it is labeled as “containing excessive chemicals” or “excessive bacteria” (unless FDA finds it “adulterated,” a term not specifically defined).

City water systems must issue annual “right-to-know” reports telling consumers what is in their water; as detailed in this report, bottlers successfully killed such a requirement for bottled water.

via current via planetgreen

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