MarketWatch: Tap water safer than bottled

[marmar]

Jul 10, 2009, 12:01 a.m. EST

Tap water safer than bottled
Commentary: Government says critical standards don't apply to bottlers

By Thomas Kostigen, MarketWatch


SANTA MONICA, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Environmental groups have for years claimed that bottled water is less safe than tap water -- and now the federal government has stepped in to say that's true.

Food and Drug Administration safety and consumer protections that apply to bottled water often are less stringent than comparable Environmental Protection Agency regulations for tap water, the Government Accountability Office found.

In a new report, the GAO says "state requirements to safeguard bottled water often exceed FDA's, but still are often less comprehensive than state requirements to safeguard tap water."

Not only is it disturbing that the FDA's standards apparently are low regarding consumer safety of bottled water, but also that consumption has skyrocketed.

Over the past decade, per-capita consumption of bottled water in the U.S. has more than doubled. Reports estimate that use equates to 200 bottles per year, per person. And, as the GAO points out, with this increase have come several concerns in recent years about the safety, quality and environmental impacts of bottled water. Those concerns now obviously are borne out.

To that end, the $16 billion bottled-water industry may be in for dry spell. Consumption of bottled water has fallen over the past year. The bottled-water industry blames the recession, but others blame safety concerns. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tap-safer-than-bottled-water

[MADem]

1. Safer, cheaper, better. Use a Brita filter if you're overly concerned. nt

[zonkers]

2. I do. I just never know how often to wash it out. Taste pretty good!

[backscatter712]

3. That's what I do.

Brita pitchers are cheap, take the chlorine taste out of the water, works great!

[madrchsod]

4. the water in my town comes from wells sunk into a midwest aquifer

the biggest problem they have now is arsenic and radon because they are drilling deeper. taking the clorine out and it`s as good or better than any bottled water

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. 200 bottles per year per person - someone is drinking a LOT of bottled water

because I average app. 1 bottle per year.

[MADem]

6. I will say that in some countries I find it very convenient.

If you're in an area of the world where the water is sketchy, and you don't have the set-up to boil your water for twenty minutes and/or use the bleach additive to kill anything that might get into your gut, the bottled water (check the seal, and wipe the top of the bottle with a clorox wipe in case it was put on the shelf by a 'poopy' hand) is convenient. In the USA though, the water is pretty good, and in some places, it is very tasty as well.

[MercutioATC]

7. Yeah, but I can't carry tap water with me. Somebody should put tap water in bottles.

Oh...erm...nevermind.