There are two remarkable facts regarding drinking water that I have observed as a newcomer to the US.
One is that tap water is perfectly drinkable. This may seem unremarkable to all Americans, but it is an abolute marvel to folks from developing countries where safe drinking water is a precious commodity. Certainly, all Indian households have some sort of water purifying apparatus – those who can’t afford an aquaguard or a simple filter, fall back on the time-tested tradition of boiling water.
The second remarkable fact is that most Americans like to buy water – bottled water. I think its pretty ironic, but I’ve chalked it up to their obsession with superior quality. So, it was with considerable interest that I read about bottled water not necessarily being better than tap water. Apparently,
… with the exception of a few isolated pockets of truly bad drinking water, most municipal systems and most bottled water sources are fairly equal in terms of contaminants and other health and safety issues.
[Image courtesy Carpe Icthus]
However, bottled water may in fact be better for you if you belong to a vulnerable population.
“Pregnant women, babies, the elderly, people who are
immune-compromised, cancer patients, or those on long-term steroidal use may benefit from choosing certain bottled waters over their particular tap water“
Bottled water also gives you a choice about the ingredients in the H20 you’re chugging down – like fluorides and magnesium, .
And then there’s the taste of bottled water. Why would you want the metallic taste of Houston water, when you could be having the coconut-ty flavor of mineral water. (Is it just me, or do all kinds of bottled water have that coconut flavour ?)
[Image courtesy Tsjeu]
But a major drawback of bottled water is the bottled part. Water is bottled in plastic, which is manufactured in an energy-expensive and polluting manner, could contain toxic chemicals, and often releases toxic chemicals when burnt. Troubling factors when you consider that,
… American’s demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil a year — enough to power 100,000 cars … … 86% of plastic water bottles in the United States end up in landfills…
Bottomline ? Think again before reaching for that bottle of water. If you aren’t in a ‘vulnerable’ population group, it may be a better idea to invest in a water purifier for your home, and carry water in a bottle when you’re out.
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