The Mix - Bottled water vs. Tap Water

By Anna Matetic

What would you think of someone coming into your house, using your sink, and then trying to sell your water back to you with a large mark up in price?

Welcome to the bottled water industry. Some of the bottled water currently sold is nothing more than tap water put in a plastic bottle with a label slapped on it.

An estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

How can you tell if your bottled water is really expensive tap water? Look on the bottle label for wording such as “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system.” These terms indicate the water is sourced from tap water.

In addition all those plastic water bottles have a big impact on the environment.

According to the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign, a campaign led by Corporate Accountability International, recycling rates for plastic bottles are actually lower than those for soft drink cans. In fact, more than 4 billion pounds of plastic bottles show up in the waste stream or as litter on our roadways.

Those billions of pounds of plastic cost cities more than $70 million in disposal costs alone. This does not include the cost of collecting the bottles, trucking them or removing the litter. And plastic bottles are made from petroleum products to a tune of more than 17 million barrels of oil-enough oil to provide fuel for 1 million American cars.

Carbon footprint? Plastic water bottles account for 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide generated each year. All this energy is spent to keep up with American demand for bottled water. Go global and these numbers just go up.

Hold up a plastic water bottle and picture it filled one quarter of the way full with thick, black oil. This equals the energy costs for just that bottle.

The Think Outside the Bottle Campaign is active in Minnesota and had been endorsed by Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis. Consumers wishing to get involved in their campaign are encouraged to sign the pledge, found on their website www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org, to choose tap water over bottled water.

While some bottled water may go through additional treatment at the bottling facility, you can do the same at home using a filter.

At most local food co-ops customers can buy filters and use them to filter their own tap water. Tap water is more economical choice for customers.

“We figure that the cost for a gallon of filtered water is around 8¢–12¢,” explained Jeanne Lakso from Linden Hills Natural Home store.

Most co-ops also offer bulk water using a reverse osmosis filtrations system. “People can bring in their own reusable containers to fill up,” explained Shannon Nixon, coordinator at the Wedge Co-op.

Do you find what you currently pay for gasoline expensive? Compare it to bottled water!

For example, filtered water can be purchased in at food co-ops in bulk for under 50 cents per gallon. By comparison, buying the same quantity of individually bottled water could cost $11 or $12 per gallon.

Considering the lack of industry regulation, tap water may be safer as well. For example, the Minnesota Department of Public Works is required to provide annual reports on its water supply. Compare this to the bottled water industry, which often gives tap water quality problems as a reason why bottled water is superior, but the industry refuses all attempts to publish similar information for the public.

Quantity of water resources is another concern to add to quality and safety of our water supply. Many parts of the world, including the parts of the United States, are experiencing severe drought and water shortages.

“Minnesota and the Upper Midwest have not recently experienced the same widespread and long-term drought that is occurring in the southeastern U.S.,” said Laurel D. Reeves, professional geologist and Water Appropriation Program manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Waters Division. However, due to a past history of drought, Minnesota does carefully manage its water supply. “To assure supply and quality, governmental agencies working together monitor and regulate water use, water quality, and public water supplies,” explained Reeves.

The public is becoming more aware of the issues surrounding the use of bottled water. The Linden Hills Co-op noticed a drop off in demand for bottled water. The beginning of 2008 saw a decrease in purchases of bottled water compared to 2007. Shoppers instead are buying more reusable water bottles.

“This is really exciting to me,” said Lakso of Linden Hills Co-op. “I hope that co-op consumers are more aware of the environmental impact of their choices.”

From reusable water containers and filters to supplements like Zenergize and Emergen-C, local food co-ops are leading the way for consumers to enjoy water resources more economically and safely. “The cost is much less than half the cost of vitamin-enhanced bottled water,” Lakso said.

Stainless steel water bottles can also be found in a variety of styles at food co-ops. “Personally,” said Nixon, “I feel that stainless steel is a healthy non-leaching choice for a portable water bottle.”

With all the products available to help conservation, it is easier to begin better water management in our homes. “Minnesotans should continue to be mindful of how they use their water so that they don’t waste it even when there appears to be plenty of water,” Reeves said. “It’s important to remember that local water and land uses impact our local water supply and water resources.”

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