The Facts About Drinking Bottled Water

The battle between tap water and bottled water has been a long running one, with the American population more or less being split into two halves- one that swears by bottled water, and the other that is content with drinking tap water. The following interesting facts about drinking bottled water could help you decide better whether it’s worth the switch from tap water-

• Bottled water is subjected to intense FDA regulations that ensure that this water is treated before distribution and meets a high level of purity standards. If a manufacturer does not treat the source water, they are required by law to clearly state so on the label.
• Across the world, Backflow is a major concern faced by public water supply systems, which puts consumers at a high risk of contamination. This problem is eliminated in case of bottled water, in which the source water undergoes several layers of purification before it is ready for consumption.
• Bottled water manufacturers that are members of the International Bottled Water Association agree to meet even higher standards of purity, and are subjected to surprise visits on the processing plants to ensure that these standards are being met.
• There are various techniques adopted to purify water from various sources into the purest form of drinking water. These include steam distillation, oxygenation, reverse osmosis, etc. Not only do these procedures aim at clearing drinking bottled water of all sorts of possible impurities, but they also lead to it being better tasting.
• As rare as they are, there have been isolated cases of cross contamination, including pharmaceutical contamination, in tap water. This risk is eliminated in bottled water, through the multiple layers of purification that are mandatory before such water is ready for distribution.
• Water bottles have consistently proven to be a lifesaver during natural disasters, in which tap water runs a high risk of being disrupted or contaminated.
• Bottled water is a great health alternative to remain hydrated at times when tap water might not be available. Those who consume bottled water are less likely to opt for unhealthy alternatives like sodas and sugar-laden juices.
• Consumers of bottled drinking water are also advised to recycle the water bottles consumed by them, which is a major concern, with only 12% of the water bottles consumed annually being recycled.

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