![]() If you want to take extra precautions, you should purchase filters certified by NSF International. Your water report will point out possible risks to health fortunately, a home filter designed explicitly to strip contaminants will resolve most cases. Call your state drinking-water program or the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (80) for a list of contacts. Standard consumer test packages are available through large commercial labs at a relatively reasonable price. Under "right-to-know" provisions in the drinking water law, all tap suppliers must provide annual quality reports to their customers. Though it's mostly safe, tap might at times also present issues-especially if you live in a rural community with a higher likelihood of pesticide runoff contamination, or if you get your water from a private (unregulated) well or live in an older home. ![]() If consumed over a long period of time, some of those contaminants could cause cancer or other health problems for people with weakened immune systems. About 22 percent of the brands tested contained chemicals at levels above state health limits in at least one sample. Of the 1,000 bottles tested, the majority proved to be relatively clean and pure. In fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle-sometimes further treated, sometimes not. In 1999, after a four-year review of the bottled-water industry and its safety standards, NRDC concluded that there is no assurance that bottled water is cleaner or safer than tap. OK-but which type of water is actually safer? The one place where bottled water might have the edge is in the case of lead because many older homes have lead pipes, the EPA standard for tap water is less strict-one-third of the FDA's standard for lead in bottled water. Limits on chemical pollution for both categories are almost identical. For example, bottled-water plants must test for coliform bacteria just once a week city tap needs to be tested 100 or more times a month. Bottled water does not have to be.īoth kinds of water are tested regularly for bacteria and most synthetic organic chemicals, but city tap is typically assessed much more frequently. Tap water in most big cities must be disinfected, filtered to remove pathogens, and tested for cryptosporidium and giardia viruses. In fact, just the opposite is true in many cases. It's important to note that the federal government does not require bottled water to be safer than tap. States are responsible for regulating water that is both packaged and sold within its borders (which is most of the bottled-water market), but one in five states doesn't even bother. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for ensuring the safety and truthful labeling of bottled water sold nationally. Environmental Protection Agency oversees the quality of water that comes out of your tap, while the U.S. It's regulated by different agencies, with different missions. Is it worth the cost-to you and the environment? How is water regulated? Some people are spending 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they typically are for tap. We now have "luxury" water bars and "premium" bottled water. Ads and labels drive home the perception of purity, with images of pristine glaciers and crystal-clear mountain springs. ![]() Not only are millions of tons of plastic bottles clogging our landfills, but it takes 1.63 liters of water to make every liter of Dasani-and the company is doing it in drought-plagued California.īut despite those harsh realities, public concerns about tap-water quality (and, let's face it, slick marketing) have caused bottled water sales to soar over the past couple of decades. We know which is better for the environment.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |