| Over the past two decades the consumption of | | | | and consuming vast quantities of energy, even in |
| bottled water has risen, enormously. As | | | | areas where perfectly good drinking water is |
| Americans, we spent over 11 billion last year | | | | available on tap. The report, released earlier this |
| consuming 8.3 billion gallons of bottled water | | | | month by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), says |
| making it the fifth most lucrative beverage sold in | | | | global consumption of bottled water doubled |
| the United States. This is most obviously caused | | | | between 1999 and 2004, reaching 41 billion gallons |
| by first, the publics' perception that our municipal | | | | (154 billion liters) annually. Bottled water is often no |
| supply could be unhealthful and second, and a | | | | healthier than tap water, but it can be 10,000 |
| more health conscious trend in America. The | | | | times more expensive, says Emily Arnold, a |
| explosion in profits for companies like Dasani, | | | | researcher with the Washington D.C.-based |
| Aquafina, Evian, Arrowhead & others have | | | | nonprofit. "At as much as $2.50 [U.S.] per liter [$10 |
| been a result in their success in giving us the | | | | U.S. a gallon], bottled water costs more than |
| perception that their water comes from pristine | | | | gasoline," she said. Most of this extra cost is |
| natural water sources like distant glaciers and | | | | driven by transportation and packaging. "Nearly a |
| crystal clear mountain springs. A study done by | | | | quarter of all bottled water crosses national |
| the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) | | | | borders to reach consumers," Arnold said. The |
| found that at least 25% and as much as 40% of | | | | report gives the example of one company in |
| bottled water comes straight "from the tap", | | | | Helsinki, Finland, that in 2004 shipped 1.4 million |
| including Dasani (coke), and Aquafina (pepsi). The | | | | bottles of Finnish tap water to Saudi Arabia-2,700 |
| (NRDC) also found that after testing 1000 bottles | | | | miles (4,300 kilometers) away. Well-known French |
| from just over 100 of the most popular brands | | | | brands Evian and Volvic export between 50 and |
| 33% had bacterial contamination, synthetic organic | | | | 60 percent of their water to destinations across |
| chemicals including industrial solvents, and inorganic | | | | the globe. The report lists the U.S. as the world's |
| contaminants such as arsenic. | | | | biggest drinker of bottled water; Mexico has the |
| So who's to blame? Almost no one. The Federal | | | | second highest consumption, followed by China |
| Food and Drug Admin. (FDA) is responsible for the | | | | and Brazil. Italians drink the most per person, |
| quality of the bottled water in this country and | | | | equivalent to about two glasses a day. |
| has "less than one person" in charge. Which is | | | | So what do we do? First, Boycott Bottled Water! |
| shouldn't be surprising when you learn that any | | | | Second, get a report of the current local municipal |
| water bottled and sold in the same state is | | | | supply and decide if it satisfactory. If you know |
| exempt from FDA quality control and accounts | | | | you don't want to drink it, look around, you'll see |
| for 60 -70% of the water sold. Only 1 in 5 states | | | | there is plenty of reverse osmosis water |
| regulate that water. So when it comes down to | | | | dispensing sites at local corner markets where |
| it, unless the water you buy explicitly labels its | | | | you can get clean water for around 25 cents per |
| origin and lives up to its label, your most likely just | | | | gallon. That's a fraction of the cost of bottled |
| drinking filtered tap or water that comes from a | | | | water and is guaranteed to be of higher quality. |
| similar source treated in a similar way if not less. | | | | From everything I've read and researched the |
| The (NRDC) investigated one major producer of | | | | true solution lies in purchasing a multi-stage whole |
| "spring water" that actually came from an | | | | house filter. These filters should include a pre-filter, |
| industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste | | | | to remove dirt sediment, sand and other physical |
| site. This just seems to be another case of | | | | particles. Then a combination of filters to remove |
| people getting duped because they didn't inform | | | | chemicals and bacteria should follow. Reverse |
| themselves. And it gets worse. | | | | Osmosis systems provides good tasting clean |
| The biggest problem is not the quality of the | | | | water without much of the salts that other filters |
| water, cause it's really just filtered tap, it's the | | | | leave but do create a fair bit of waste. Mineral |
| bottle! The bottle may sit, open for weeks at | | | | supplementation is definitely required for person |
| room temperature before being filled and is a | | | | drinking only reverse osmosis water because |
| breeding ground for bacteria. Even if the brand | | | | many of the necessary minerals are removed. |
| you choose is genuinely pure and health-friendly, | | | | For a smaller budget, look for individual faucet |
| the bottle it's been packaged in and the time it is | | | | water filters refrigerator water filters, pitchers |
| stored before it is consumed can dramatically | | | | and gravity filters. These smaller budget filters |
| change its "purity." Water languishes in a plastic | | | | work great for getting most of the chlorine and |
| bottle at the manufacturer, at the warehouse, at | | | | heavy metals and do give a cleaner taste. One |
| the distributor and at the retailer that leaves | | | | thing for certain, it's going to be better than most |
| ample time to leech out components from these | | | | of the bottled water you could buy, for pennies |
| plastic containers almost exclusively made from | | | | on the dollar. There are many great water |
| crude oil. These components are known cancer | | | | filtration systems out there and it can be hard to |
| causing agents. This is a real concern. | | | | chose which one is right for your particular |
| A new report warns that people's thirst for | | | | situation. |
| bottled water is producing unnecessary garbage | | | | |