Drinking bottled water isn’t new. In fact it was common seeing either a Sparkletts or an Arrowhead water cooler in many homes in the mid 1950’s. The water man would make weekly deliveries and hoist those hefty glass containers filled to the brim with water onto the coolers and retrieve the empties. This was about as portable as it got for decades. Then, beginning in the 1980’s, “personal” bottled water, which a person carried with them, became very trendy. Propelled by savvy marketing, Perrier, Dasani, Evian, and more than 700 other brands of bottled water have since become mainstream (pun intended).

Taste

First of all, why would a person want to pay as much as $3.50 for a bottle of water when it comes right from the tap for pennies or even less? While there is a lot of controversy about the efficacy of water testing, we’ll get to that later on. In the meantime, let’s focus on the taste of drinking water. I mean who wouldn’t want the taste of fresh water from a clean, clear mountain stream?

Well, that is what’s been long marketed as the taste you can expect from bottled water. Admittedly, ordinary tap water does have taste differences. Some water even has an odor depending if chlorine or some other disinfecting agent is used. If you travel across the country you’ll probably notice it. None of it can be described as tasting “bad” but there are different water “tastes.” So, early on the key selling point of bottled water was its “fresh, mountain stream quality.” Or, its “natural spring” taste. So, if taste is a criteria then bottled water may have an advantage over some tap water.

Safety

But far overshadowing taste as a selling point and issue is the safety of ordinary tap drinking water. That was called into question in the 1980’s and it has struck a nerve with consumers ever since. A city water scare in Milwaukee in 1993 just fueled the claims that bottled water was better and safer. And in the summer in New York City, if a water main bursts then everyone heads for their nearby store to buy bottled water. They are not likely to scoop up spilled city water and boil it instead.

But one has to ask if anyone (repeat anyone) has ever died in the U.S. from drinking municipal drinking (tap) water? Your author could find no record of such an incident. Nonetheless, the bottled water industry hit hard at the water safety factor and created a demand for bottled water. Then, athletes and other celebrities were seen with their water bottles and that did it. It became “cool.”

Bottled water sales have never looked back. It should be noted here, by the way, that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for overseeing and regulating public drinking water in the United States. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating bottled water products at the federal level. Additionally, with tap water, county and city governments are responsible for testing and purifying the water supply. With bottled water there is no further regulation. And if a company bottles and sells water within a given state there is often no regulation oversight at all.

Popularity

Some 60% of Americans drink bottled water, at least occasionally and there are more than 700 brands. Surprisingly, a higher percentage of Blacks, Hispanics and Asians drink bottled water than the rest of the population. Perhaps at least some of this goes back to their country of origin where drinking water was not always secure. And since many live in the poorer areas they may be convinced that the city water is as bad as the rest of their surroundings.

But this aside, drinking bottled water has not only become a drink of necessity but a “beverage choice,” meaning that many consumers choose bottled water over drinking a soda. This is a good thing because people are supposed to drink several glasses of water a day and substituting water for soda is a good nutritional decision. Also, people see professional cyclists and marathon runners being handed bottles of water as they race by. Again, it reinforces that if bottled water is good enough for these elite athletes then it is certainly good enough for me.

Added Nutrients & Flavors

To solidify bottled water as being “good for you,” some major companies have started introducing added nutrients and listing it on their labels. The response from some nutritionists is that water is water – you don’t need nutrients. But it can’t be denied that this is a great selling point. And now, water such as Dasani (bottled by Coca Cola) comes in flavors such as lemon and cherry, with more to come. In addition, bottled water can also come carbonated. In fact, that is what really launched Perrier – it was naturally carbonated. So, it came with “natural gas.” (Again, pun intended).

Water Testing

This perhaps is the crux of the problem – which water can pass not the taste test but the safety test. Well, tap water testing is highly regulated. As stated before, the federal government has its strict guidelines and each state and local municipality in turn has additional testing procedures. A few years ago the National Resources Defense Council did a comparative study and found that only tap water is required to be disinfected. Also, testing for bacteria is done once per week with bottled water and hundreds of times per month by city water systems.

So, is tap water just as good? Well, McKesson Water (bottlers of Sparkletts, Alhambra, Aqua Vend and Crystal) says its comparisons show contaminants in tap water where there aren’t any in their bottled water products. For the research-oriented consumer here is a tip – check it out yourself. Most bottled water companies have literature on their products. And the city water systems certainly do. In fact, from what your author has seen they are very proud of their product and will be happy to send highly detailed reports and brochures.

Where Does It Really Come From?

If all bottled water came from a hidden mountain stream, a rare spring in Southern France, or some other exotic place that would be great. But it doesn’t. Studies have shown that 30% or more of bottled water products are actually bottled tap water. Just because a bottle has a picture of a mountain stream on it doesn’t mean it came from there. To be sure some water products do but it is more expensive. It has to be pumped from the stream or spring, and then trucked to a plant where the water is treated and bottled. So some companies prefer the easier route. For real bottle water aficionados it pays to be sure.

The Bottom Line

From all the research it is probably fine to drink either bottled or tap water. Even though claims fly back and forth about which is better (or safer) the fact is you’re probably not going to get sick drinking either. And if any of the bottlers had contaminated products it would be a huge black eye and hurt the entire industry. As far as taste goes, bottled water does seem superior to some city water systems. And with added nutrients and flavors, bottled water, has stated before, has become a beverage of choice. One more thing – bottled water is very convenient.

Walk into any supermarket, fast food outlet, or even today’s movie theaters and you’ll find bottled water. Because bottled water is much more expensive than tap water the one thing any smart consumer would want to be aware of is – where does this water come from? If it truly is from an exotic source, fine. But you don’t want to pay up to several dollars more for what you can already get for a fraction of a cent. As a matter of comparison that, as they say, “doesn’t hold water.”