Bottled Vs. Tap Vs. Filtered Water

By Author: Dr. Victor Marchione
Total Articles: 90
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Water: it’s the one thing that we absolutely need to survive. Without water, dehydration quickly sets in, and all of the major organs begin shutting down one by one. Fortunately, for those of us living in the U.S. or Canada, plenty of drinking water is readily available. The issue is not so much “is there enough drinking water?” but rather “which drinking water is the safest?”.
Filtered tap water also has its proponents and naysayers.
Let’s take a closer look at these three types of drinking water and try to determine if one is better for your health than another. After all, water is essential for good health. There isn’t a single organ or biological function in your body that doesn’t benefit from the hydrating effects of water.

It’s Cheap, but Is It Good for You?
There are a lot of good things that can be said about tap water. Tap water is regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has pretty strict standards.4 Tap water is routinely tested several times ...
... a day for harmful microbiological content. Water-treatment plants must keep detailed accounts of tap water’s sources and the results of any testing.
Many advocates for tap water also consider the fact that fluoride is added to the water a bonus. Adding fluoride to drinking water promotes strong teeth and could help prevent tooth decay.

Pros & Cons of Bottled Water
Unlike tap water, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Standards for bottled water are not as strict as those for tap water are. Bottled-water companies are required to test for microbes only once a week, and because the FDA doesn’t require the same standards for water that is bottled and sold in the same state, a significant number of bottles haven’t undergone any testing at all!
Bottled water, on the other hand, is never exposed to lead piping. As a consequence, the lead limit for bottled water is a more modest 5 parts per billion.

Not All Bottles of Water Are Equal
In an effort to clarify the quality of bottled water, the FDA has classified bottled water according to its origin. “Artesian well water” comes from a well that taps into an aquifer-layer of porous rock, sand and earth. Water from artesian aquifers is considered more pure by the EPA because the layers of rock and clay prevent contamination.
The National Resources Defense Council estimates that more than 25% of bottled water is really just tap water that has been treated — or sometimes not even treated at all.
If you spend money on bottled water, make sure that you check the label carefully. It is possible to buy pure spring water that doesn’t have that chlorinated, treated taste of tap water.
On the other hand, industrial chemicals and chemicals that are used in manufacturing plastic (such as “phthalate”) could leach into bottled water from its plastic container. You might also want to consider the fact that the bottled-water industry produces over 1.5 million tons of plastic each year that may or may not make it into recycling programs.
The Best Solution?
Filtered water may be the best alternative when it comes to drinking water. Water filters have the ability to remove more dangerous contaminants than any other purification method. Most of them have also been designed to specifically work for municipally treated water. Water treated with a filter is also free from contamination from the chemicals that are found in plastic bottles. In addition, filtered water is more economical than bottled water is.
So what should you do if you want to give filtered water a try? There are many different kinds of water filters available to buy. Three common filtration methods include distillation, “reverse osmosis” and “ozonation.”
During distillation, water is turned into vapor. Distilled water still contains minerals, because minerals are too heavy to vaporize and are left behind when the vapors are condensed into water again.

So there you have it — a brief look at the debate between drinking tap water, bottled water and filtered water. Since water quality differs from city to city and town to town, you’ll want to put some thought into what’s the best choice for you. Clean, safe drinking water is fundamental to our survival, and it is also fundamental to good health.

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http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/
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