Bottled Water V.S. Filtered Water: 5 Misconceptions

There was a period of time when the popularity of bottled water skyrocketed, and people weren't really asking questions like "does this natural spring water come from natural springs?" Over time some different companies got in a bit of trouble for that and many bottles today disclose on the packaging that the water comes from public supply. In some cases, it is questionable whether or not the water is even filtered.

People have been aware for some time of the potential risks associated with carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that can be ingested from a plastic water bottle. While the odds and likelihood of these issues is said to vary, the consensus is generally that the longer the bottles have been sitting, and the more heat that they've been exposed to, the more likely they are to have issues. Reusing these bottles also increases the chances of ingesting harmful chemicals. 

Even with extensive recycling programs in states like New York, many plastic water bottles end up in landfills. At the end of the day, filling up a reusable water from the tap is always going the be better for the environment than going through dozens of plastic bottles.

Many people who have issues with their municipal water think that by buying bottled water regularly they are saving money on not having to buy a filter. Most municipal water sources end up costing 1 or 2 cents a gallon as opposed to the 2-4 dollars you end up spending on bottled water, and that doesn't even address any of the other issues you may be having with your water like showering, dishwashing, laundry and more.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it, but bottled water and tap water are not evaluated or regulated the same way. The DEC is responsible for evaluating and testing public water, but the FDA is the group that handles bottled water. The methods for testing used by the FDA are generally considered to be less rigorous.