What’s the difference between tap water and bottled water?
The most fundamental difference between the two is that tap water comes straight from your faucet, while bottled water is sold in bottles that are sourced from a variety of locations. However, the quality and safety of both sources can vary based on factors such as source, treatment, type, manufacturer, and taste.
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Many people believe that bottled water is better than tap because it contains less harmful contaminants and it’s been treated more thoroughly in a water treatment plant. While this is true, many bottled waters also contain trace amounts of contaminants that can be dangerous to the environment and human health.
Bottled water is often packaged with an additive that makes it more environmentally friendly, but it doesn’t actually change the chemistry of the water, which means it can still contain trace amounts of pollutants like lead and mercury. In addition, some bottled water manufacturers add fluoride or chlorine to their water, which is not only unnecessary but can also be unhealthy for some people.
In contrast, local tap water is generally filtered through filters at the point of delivery. In most cities, the water is regulated and tested to ensure it’s safe, and the public’s health is considered a priority.
Another advantage of local tap water is that it’s cheaper than bottled water. A study by Jennifer Lee, a scholarly author, found that “bottled water costs 4,000 to 10,000 times more than tap water.” This is why some cities have decided to implement tap water systems instead of bottled water for drinking purposes.
While a majority of Americans drink bottled water, there is no evidence that consuming bottled water is more harmful to the environment than drinking tap water. In fact, the environmental impact of bottled water is actually lower than that of tap water because there is no disposable packaging that would end up in landfills or recycling centers.
One of the biggest environmental problems with bottled water is that it’s made from petroleum, which is a finite resource that is slowly depleting. It is also difficult to recycle the plastic bottles, which leads to additional pollution in the environment.
This is an area where the government should step in and create a policy that requires all bottled water to be recycled, rather than buying new bottles from companies. This could save the economy billions of dollars in waste disposal costs, while also reducing pollution.
There are several benefits to tap water that make it a more eco-friendly choice than bottled water, including:
The first benefit of tap water is that it is usually free. A lot of people are unaware that the cost of bottled water is actually higher than the price of tap water, and they are often forced to buy bottled water because they aren’t able to afford it.
In addition, a lot of people drink bottled water because it’s convenient or tastes better than tap water. This is especially true when people travel to different regions or countries and don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water.