The real cost of bottled water

Ban the Bottle.

Drinking water in plastic bottles seems like a healthy thing to do. The water is portable. You can stay hydrated throughout the day. Everyone is doing it. The prevalent use of bottled water demonstrates how unsatisfied the general public is with the quality of unfiltered, tap water. However that solution doesn’t offer higher quality than what can be consumed from municipal sources. In addition, the production, shipment and distribution of plastic bottles contribute to greenhouse gases and most of the used, discarded bottles end up in landfills, oceans and other waterways.

The fact is that bottled water is not healthy for you, for the environment or your wallet.

Danger to You:

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report that exposed gaps in regulations governing the bottled-water industry. There are currently no mandates issued by the Federal Food and Drug Administration about how bottled water should be filtered or kept free of pathogens.

The water found in plastic bottles is only marginally better than most tap waters. In fact, the NRDC tested more than 100 brands of bottled water and found contaminants in a third of the brands such as arsenic. Not something you’d want to ingest.

Nearly a quarter of all bottled water is actually tap water from municipal sources repackaged by soft drink companies. Did you know that most bottled water measures acidic on a pH test? Drinking acidic water will end up actually de-hydrating you.

Danger to the Earth:

The kind of plastic most commonly used for water bottles — polyethylene terephthalate, or PET — is recyclable. However, only 1 out of every 4 plastic water bottles gets recycled. The bottles are discarded with regular trash. An estimated 38 billion bottles end up in landfills each year, where they leach carcinogenic chemicals back into the ground water.

Producing the water exacts a toll on the earth’s resources too. The Earth Policy Institute calculates America’s demand for bottled water requires 15 million barrels of oil. That’s enough oil to run 100,000 cars for an entire year.

Danger to Your Wallet

A whopping $15 Billion dollars went towards purchasing bottled water in America. That’s more than people spent on iPods or movie tickets combined. A family of four drinking just one bottle of water per person, per day is spending on average $2,200 a year.

So if you want to eliminate the cost of bottled water from your budget, you need to investigate water filtration systems. The ones available today vary greatly.

• Whole House Filters – These filtration systems screen water as it enters the house, filtering water for a wide range of household uses including drinking, cooking, and bathing. Some models are designed to be water softeners, reducing levels of calcium and magnesium. Others are fitted with mechanical and/or carbon filters to reduce rust, sediment, and some contaminants.

• Undersink Filters or Faucet-Integrated Filters – This type of filtration system is built into the faucet spout, or is housed under the sink. The filtration relies on an activated carbon or ceramic filter. Models vary, but many reduce chlorine, lead, mercury, and (less frequently) disinfection byproducts.

• Faucet-Mounted Filters – This filter style uses an activated carbon filter that can remove contaminants and improve taste and odor. Models vary, but many reduce chlorine, lead, mercury, and (less frequently) disinfection byproducts.

• Countertop or Canister Filters – These filters are positioned on the kitchen counter with a line connecting directly to the faucet. Filtered water is collected and passed through activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis. Many on-counter filters will reduce a wide array of contaminants.

• Pitcher Filters – Models vary, but many reduce chlorine, lead, mercury, and (less frequently) disinfection by-products. Requires frequent filter changes.

No matter what filtration system you decide to use in your home or office, you can be certain that the elimination of plastic water bottles from your day-to-day life will have a huge impact on your wallet, your health and the earth.

Mizar Turdiu is the Executive Vice President and the founder of PUR2o. She has instructed hundreds of families and business owners about ways to improve the quality of their drinking water and give up plastic bottles to promote “Cleaner Water, Cleaner World”.

The real cost of bottled water is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

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