Difference Between Tap & Bottled Water

When it comes to the mineral content and the presence of certain toxic substances, the difference between tap and bottled water varies between substantial and indistinguishable. Bottled water comes in a variety of forms, including spring, filtered, mineral and distilled. The particular variety of bottled water is going to influence how similar or dissimilar it is to tap water.

Where Tap Water Comes From

According to Dr. Elson M. Hass in his book "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," most tap water comes from either the ground or from rivers, streams and lakes. This water is usually filtered through sand and gravel, and then chemicals are added to it, to make it safe for drinking.

Bottled "Tap" Water

In the United States, tap water may contain more than 80 toxic substances as long as the level of them is below the maximum allowable contaminant level, as determined by the EPA. According to NRDC, bottled water is not necessarily any purer, however, and an estimated 25 percent of all bottled water is just tap water in a bottle. This water may be put through an additional treatment process before it is bottled. In some instances, however, bottled water may be bottled straight from the tap, making the chemical structure of each identical.

Bottled Water and Plastic Contaminants

Bottled water has the potential to be more harmful to your health than tap because of chemicals leaching from the plastic bottles into your water. Haas states that most bottled water is bottled in polyethylene containers that are both bad for the environment and bad for your health.

Distilled Water Vs. Tap Water

Distilled bottled water will likely have fewer contaminants and minerals than tap water because it is put through a distillation process that filters them out, states CMHC. If you buy bottled distilled water for the taste, you are likely drinking distilled tap water and you can buy a home distiller to save money and reduce plastic waste.

Bottled Water "Tastes" Better

Many people believe that there is a difference in taste between bottled and tap water, but according to a study done by ABC news, the taste difference may be all in people's heads. ABC news did a blind taste test of five bottled waters and one tap water. People rated their favorite and least favorite among the five. Tap water came in third and Evian, one of the most expensive brands of bottled water came in last, with people claiming that it tasted like "toilet water." Even people who claimed they disliked the taste of tap water reported liking it on the blind test.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a bottled water that is healthier than tap water and free from many modern day contaminants, choose a "spring" or "mineral" water that is "bottled at the source" and one whose water comes from an unpolluted and protected region. Otherwise, you might be paying for bottled tap water and contributing to environmental damage in the process.