Despite the fact that an estimated 40 percent of bottled water is tap water, Americans purchased more than 9 billion gallons of bottled water in 2007, spending just under $12 billion. Water is the second largest commercial beverage sold by in the United States, second only to soft drinks. To meet our growing demand, bottled water production has increased by more than 9 percent annually since 2002. ¹

The environmental impacts of bottled water are substantial. More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce the 25 billion plastic water bottles that are sold in the United States each year. The oil used to produce these water bottles emits more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, from just the production and not the transportation of the bottles. Three liters of water are required to make just one liter of bottled water, and only 10 percent of these bottles get recycled. ¹ "More than 90 percent of the environmental impacts from a plastic bottle happen before the consumer opens it,” according to Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. ² Put another way, the energy required to produce, transport, refrigerate, and then landfill a bottle of water is comparable to filling that water bottle one quarter full of oil. ¹

But is bottled water better than tap water? The U.S. EPA regulates water distributed from municipal water sources under the Safe Water Drinking Act and has established regulations on production, distribution, and water quality. The EPA mandates testing several times a day. Bottled water sold across state lines is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and testing generally occurs less often than tap water--on the order of once a week. Although the EPA and FDA standards are similar, they are not identical. The EPA's standards are stricter for some microorganisms, such as Giardia, Legionella , and viruses, as well as for more than 20 metals and chemicals. The FDA standards, however, are higher than the EPA's for copper, fluoride, and lead ³ (since many municipal water systems are fluoridated, and the water must travel through metal pipes).

Here's where it gets even dicier. The FDA only regulates water sold across state boundaries. Water bottlers that package and sell water within state lines are exempt from FDA regulations, and these sales account for 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States. ⁴ Most states do regulate bottled water sold within their borders that would otherwise not be federally regulated, but a fifth of all states have no regulatory oversight at all. ³

Not surprisingly, given the environmental costs and the premium prices charged for bottled water, there has been a recent backlash against the industry. College students, faith communities, municipalities, restaurants, and schools are actively organizing “Take Back the Tap” and “Think Outside the Bottle” campaigns to raise awareness of the real costs of bottled water. If you're drinking your water from a reusable container, you're in good company.

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References:

1. "The Battle Over Bottled vs. Tap Water” Christian Science Monitor, January 17, 2008.

2. " A Battle Between the Bottle and the Faucet" New York Times, July 15, 2007.

3. "Can Public Water Utilities Compete with Bottled Water?" On Tap Magazine National Drinking Water Clearinghouse, Spring 2003.

4. “Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype?” Natural Resources Defense Council.

 

Additional Resource:

"Take Back the Tap” Report from Food and Water Watch.