The bottled water industry has been exposed through research for spending billions on convincing Americans that bottled water is healthier than tap water.
This costs the average American household $16 billion per year.
According to the study “Take Back the Tap” conducted by Food and Water Watch: “Most people also do not realize that the drinking water that they can get from their tap for a fraction of the price of bottled water actually comes with more safeguards than bottled water, since the federal government requires more rigorous safety monitoring of municipal tap water than it does of bottled water.” About 64 percent of the water that comes in plastic bottles comes from sources of tap water.
Not only that, but bottled water is not good for the environment, as it requires plastic.
In 2016 alone, the bottled water industry used 4 billion pounds of plastic, which has the same energy input as 45 million barrels of oil.
This is extremely dangerous for our environment, especially considering the fact that some people throw their used bottled water outside- meaning that it can harm animals.
The study says that "when bottlers are not selling municipal water, they are pumping and selling common water resources that belong to the public, harming the environment, and depleting community water supplies.” Most of the people who are affected are those who do not have as much access to clean water, especially those with a lower socioeconomic status, people of color, and immigrants.
According to the article, “The report urges the passage of the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability (WATER) Act, which would dedicate federal funds to renovate the nation’s public water infrastructure to ensure renewed public confidence in tap water, and avert a water affordability crisis.
I prefer drinking tap water.
Do you regularly buy water or drink it from the tap?