Today, the safety and health of our municipal water supply cannot be trusted. Several major studies have shown that tap water around the country is contaminated with the residues of prescription drugs and industrial chemicals, including hormones, antidepressants and antianxiety medications, as well as artificial sweeteners. Increasingly, people turn to bottled water as a better alternative. Unfortunately, the bottled water business is fraught with deceit. Multinational corporations like Pepsi and Coca-Cola bottle the same questionable municipal water and sold it without describing the source. Recently, both companies admitted that their bottled water brands, Aquafina and Dasani respectively, are bottled public tap water. According to the FDA, the standards for purity are virtually the same for bottled and tap water. Only the standard for lead content differs, being more stringent for bottled water. The FDA does regulate label claims for water, and classifies water in four categories: artesian sell water, spring water, mineral water and well water. The words "purified water" are also allowed, as long as the water has been treated by one of four methods: distillation, reverse osmosis, absolute 1-micron filtration and ozonation. With all this terminology, it can be difficult to navigate the bottled waterscape. However, with a little label reading and knowledge, you can easily find safe and great-tasting water.
What to Look for
The optimum drinking water has some minerals in it, because most of us are lacking some key minerals in our diet. However, it shouldn't be so mineral-rich that it compromises the taste---what's commonly known as "hard water." Mineral water, according to the FDA, must contain at least 250 ppm dissolved solids that come from the source, not added later. Look for mineral waters high in silica and magnesium, minerals many people lack. If you can't find a trusted mineral water source at a reasonable price, spring water and artesian well water are good alternatives. Get to know your supplier. Find out where the spring is located. Ideally, the spring should be high up in a watershed, above population centers. Next best is water filtered through reverse osmosis, or RO. Many of the bottled water delivery companies use RO water, because it's relatively inexpensive to produce, yet offers a high-quality product.
Common Pitfalls
Aside from not reading the label, the biggest mistake most consumers make is allowing their bottled water to get hot. When warmed, plastic bottles leach harmful chemicals into the water. Substances from the plastic that mimic estrogen, bisphenol A and phthalates end up in the water and may contribute to rising cancer rates, infertility and other diseases. Always keep your bottled water in a cool, dark place. Don't let it sit in the car on a hot day. Don't reuse bottles smaller than one gallon, but instead recycle them. A great alternative is to get RO water in five-gallon jugs, and then dispense it into non-leaching containers for personal use. Glass and steel containers won't leak chemicals into the water. Companies such as Klean Kanteen market convenient, high quality steel bottles.
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