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Bottled. Filtered. Straight from the tap. There’s never been such a wide range of options for your drinking water. Then there are the bottled water varieties, including spring, distilled and purified. So which is best for you? Let’s dive into the drinking water debate for some answers.
Is tap water bad for you?
Tap water can contain various heavy metals that pose significant health risks. Unhealthy levels of lead, for example, have been detected in some water supplies, and exposure to lead has been linked to nervous system damage and other severe health issues. Copper, while most dangerous to young children, can also cause gastrointestinal distress, liver problems, and kidney damage in adults when consumed in excess. Organic mercury, particularly harmful to children, can lead to adverse health effects, and long-term exposure in adults can result in kidney damage.
These contaminants not only pose direct health risks but also affect the sensory qualities of water, making it cloudy, foul-smelling, or off-tasting. Although these aesthetic issues might not be dangerous, they can discourage people from drinking enough water, thereby negatively impacting hydration habits.
Additionally, low levels of chlorine are often added to public water supplies to inactivate bacteria and viruses. However, chlorine can impart an unpleasant taste and smell to drinking water. Particulates such as rust, dirt, sand, and sediment can make water appear cloudy and contribute to an unpleasant odor and taste. While zinc is an essential trace element, high concentrations can also result in off-tasting water. Beyond these common impurities, tap water can sometimes contain trace levels of pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals, including ibuprofen, Naproxen, and pesticides. These substances, even in small amounts, raise concerns about the overall quality and safety of drinking water.
What is filtered water?
Water can be filtered by using a physical barrier, biological process, or chemical process intended to remove or lower the amount of impurities present. Each process is effective in removing certain types of impurities that otherwise effect taste and drinkability. The most popular method for filtering household water is known as activated carbon filtering, which involves pushing water through a physical and chemical carbon barrier which acts like a magnet trapping impurities into the carbon. It’s the foundational process used by many of the available pitchers, bottles and dispensers.
What are the benefits of filtered water?
Health: Many filters remove or reduce health contaminants that can be found in tap water which may include lead, copper, mercury and more. Check the packaging or contaminant chart to see whether the filter is focused on contaminant reduction vs. taste only.
Taste: Common impurities such as chlorine and zinc can make water bitter and unpleasant to drink. Activated carbon filters can make your water taste great, and even improve coffee and tea.
Sustainability: People in the U.S. use 2,000 disposable water bottles every second, and that’s a lot of single-use plastic waste. In one year, you can prevent generating up to 1,800 water bottles* of single-use plastic waste with just 2 water filters.
Value: You’ll see significant cost savings when you ditch bottled water for filtered. In fact, switching to filtered water can help you save £300 per year.
Where does bottled water come from?
Bottle labels can be confusing, even misleading, making it difficult for consumers to know how water is sourced, treated or handled. The truth is, bottled water can be processed, treated, packaged and distributed in a variety of ways depending on manufacturer. And while we spend £13 billion annually on bottled water, some of it is simply processed tap water.
Is bottled water safe?
Even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards for bottled water, brands use a wide range of treatment methods and water sources. It’s important to read labels carefully and investigate treatment processes if you have any safety concerns about your bottled water. Furthermore, a 2018 study released by a US university analysed 11 different brands of bottled water that all contained microplastics. Along with reducing plastic waste from our environment, this is yet another compelling reason to go bottled water-free.
Bottled water and the environment
Every minute, a dump truck’s worth of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans, according to an estimate from World Economic Forum in “The New Plastics Economy.” Plastic water bottles take 450 years to decompose, which can result in harmful chemicals leaching into the ground and our water sources. With a simple switch from single-use plastic bottles to filtered water, you can make a significant impact on this global plastic epidemic.
Filter water vs. bottled water
Although both filtered water and bottled water can provide healthier, better-tasting water, the cost-effectiveness and smaller environmental impact of filtered water beats out bottled water at every turn. And when you consider the convenience and accessibility of home-filtered tap water, it’s difficult to justify paying for single-use plastic water bottles.
Conclusion
The debate between tap, bottled, and filtered water revolves around health, taste, cost, and environmental impact. Tap water, though convenient and inexpensive, can sometimes contain contaminants that pose health risks and affect taste and smell. Bottled water offers convenience and a perception of safety, but it often comes with significant environmental drawbacks and can be as variable in quality as tap water. Filtered water emerges as a compelling alternative, providing improved taste, reduced contaminants, and a more sustainable solution compared to bottled water. By investing in a good filtration system, people can can enjoy the benefits of healthier, better-tasting water while also contributing to the reduction of plastic waste.
Ultimately, filtered water represents a balanced approach, offering the advantages of both safety and sustainability, and is well-suited to meet the needs of health-conscious and environmentally aware individuals.
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