In some cases, publicly-sourced tap may actually be safer since it is usually tested more frequently.
Read on to find out all the things you didn’t know about your drinking water.
Last year was the first time Americans drank more bottled water than soda.
In fact, a recent report found that almost half of all bottled water is actually derived from the tap, but may be further processed or tested for safety.
Tap water is also typically tested for quality and contamination more frequently than bottled water.
However, if you live in one of the 15 million (mostly rural) US households that gets drinking water from a private well, the EPA isn’t keeping an eye on your water quality.
A study in the journal Environmental Research Letters revealed that the plastic that went into the bottled water Americans consumed in 2007 came from the byproducts of roughly 32-54 million barrels of oil.
A recent study from the International Bottled Water Association found that North American companies companies use 1.39 litre of water to make one litre of the bottled stuff.
For every six water bottles Americans use, only one makes it to the recycle bin, according to National Geographic.
So think twice the next time you consider buying a case of bottled water.