Reports Indicate There May Be Little Difference
The popularity of bottled water is on the rise, especially on college campuses. For many students, preference for bottled water over tap water has more to do with taste than it does with this new trend.
“I drink bottled water because I live in Florida and the water tastes funny,” said Janelle Parent, a business graduate student at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla.
Like Parent, many students favor bottled water because of the taste, but others because they say it’s healthier than tap water.
Brandon Slade, a senior political science major at Howard University in Washington, stays away from the tap water in the District.
“D.C. water, in my opinion, is unsafe. There have been a lot of health concerns surrounding the quality of the water in the District because of lead contaminations.”
With recent reports of high concentrations of lead in tap water around the nation, many students are opting for bottled water. However, some students might be surprised to find that bottled water may not be as safe as they think.
Based on a four-year study conducted by the Natural Resource Defense Councils about the bottled water industry, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle, with only some types receiving further treatment.
Also, by abandoning tap water many students may find themselves loosing out on many essential nutrients and benefits that can be found in tap water, including fluoride, iron and calcium.This has to do with the ways in which bottled and tap water are treated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water.
The difference is that tap water undergoes more tests than bottled water.According to an article from the CleanAir4Life website, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants. Also, bottled water rules allow for some contamination including E.coli, unlike tap water rules which prohibit any confirmed contamination of these bacteria. There are no requirements for bottled water to be disinfected or tested for parasites.
Such findings are alarming to some students, including Andrew Kirk, a senior theatre major at the University of Las Vegas in Nevada.Kirk said, “I did not know all of the facts about the quality of tap water. This won’t stop me from drinking bottled water, but I’ll be less hesitant about drinking tap water.”
Although reasons for drinking bottled or tap water vary because of taste, cost or quality, the necessity and desire for water remains.Water can help remove toxins from the body, improve memory, nourish skin, reduce daytime fatigue, aid in circulation, regulate the body’s cooling system, prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections, improve muscle toner and help digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions.
Kirk said, “I did not know all of the facts about the quality of tap water. This won’t stop me from drinking bottled water, but I’ll be less hesitant about drinking tap water.”
Although reasons for drinking bottled or tap water vary because of taste, cost or quality, the necessity and desire for water remains.Water can help remove toxins from the body, improve memory, nourish skin, reduce daytime fatigue, aid in circulation, regulate the body’s cooling system, prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections, improve muscle toner and help digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions.
