Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water For Health

When selecting which type of water to drink, many people wonder whether tap water or bottled water is better for their health. Experts do not necessarily recommend one variety over the other, although municipally supplied tap water undergoes similar if not more safety scrutiny than bottled water. For the most part, your water choice comes down to personal preference as far as taste, cost and convenience.

Tap Water Quality Control

In a report issued in June of 2009, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of bottled water was actually less stringent than the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of tap water. According to the Safe Water Drinking Act, municipalities of 10,000 or more people must test tap water for contaminants each year using certified laboratories. Once testing is complete, all residents should receive a yearly report about their drinking water's quality that explains the amount and possible effects of any contaminants found in the tap water. In the case of particularly harmful contaminants, the EPA requires that results be widely distributed within 24 hours. In this way, tap water is kept as free of contaminants that could harm your health as possible.

Bottled Water Quality and Regulation

The quality of bottled water is overseen by another U.S. government organization, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. While the FDA ensures the general safety of bottled water, their requirements are less strict than those of the EPA. The FDA does not require that bottled water manufacturers use certified laboratories to test for contaminants, and even if manufacturers find contaminants in their water, they are not required to report the results of testing to the FDA. While this does not necessarily mean that bottled water contains contaminants, it does mean you may not hear about any contaminants it does contain. Concerns were also expressed by the GAO about the levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as DEHP and BPA, found within bottled water.

Mineral Content in Water

A study published in the March 2001 issue of the "Journal of General Internal Medicine" sought to compare the overall mineral content of tap and bottled waters. Using mineral analysis reports from the municipal water authorities of 21 major cities in North America, researchers compared these reports with published information about bottled water. They found that while European-manufactured bottled water had a high mineral content, North American-manufactured bottled water did not. Tap water, on the other hand, tended to contain minerals and could help fulfill daily dietary requirements of magnesium, calcium and sodium. Researchers recommended that people know the mineral content of the water they choose to drink and select it based on their own health needs.

Water for Infant Formula

If your baby is formula-fed, it is natural to wonder whether tap water or bottled water would be best for her health. Some people are concerned about the fluoride contained in most municipal tap waters. Jay L. Hoecker, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic suggests that fluoride consumption is valuable for infants and can help prevent tooth decay, but consistent use of fluoridated tap water can lead to minor tooth discoloration called fluorosis. Fluorosis leads to minor white marks on the teeth but does not affect how they work. If you are concerned about fluorosis, Dr. Hoecker suggests occasionally alternating tap water formula with bottled water formula or ready-to-feed formula.