Recent media attention targeting the safety of our nation’s tap water has created a heightened demand for bottled water and home filtration systems.
In fact, bottled water sales became attractive enough that large beverage companies jumped in by filtering tap water (which is treated with tax dollars), and selling it back to the tax paying public.
Can We Trust Others to Filter Our Water?
The landfill issue alone is enough to question the ethics of drinking bottled water. The companies who are supposed to provide us with clean drinking water are actually contributing to the destruction of the environment.
Regardless of questionable practices, and the staggering environmental effects, the bottled water trend is still on the rise in the US.
The forward march of technology means that there are other choices available. Filtration systems have become more affordable and efficient in the race to clean America’s drinking water.
Bottled water is convenient in the moment, however its long term effects are hardly worth it. There are plenty of reasons why buying bottled water is a bad choice.
Here a few of them
1. Plastic takes at least 300 years to degrade, each of the thousands of bottles thrown away today will outlive us all at least 3 times over.
2. It is impossible to get chemical free water from a plastic bottle. Plastic is made from chemicals and the water that fills them can then sit for long periods of time at high temperatures during the storage, distribution and sales process.
3. It takes 3 times as much water to produce a bottle as it does to fill it, and that is just the beginning of the destructive life of a water bottle. This is the same bottle that has a 80% chance of ending its long life in a landfill.
4. Only about 20% of plastic bottles will end up being recycled, a process which requires the use of petroleum, more water and often the cost of transport overseas for the recycling process.
5. Tap water is subject to a “Right to Know” requirement, and regulated by the EPA which offers tap water quality test results to the enquiring public. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA and the companies are under fewer obligations to reveal their filtration process and water contents to the general public.
Filtering your own water at home has plenty of health and environmental benefits.
What You’ll Get Out of A Filtration System
Consistency - When you purchase a water filter, you know exactly how clean your water is. This allows you to decide how serious you are about filtered water, then buy a system to match your tone.
Control - As long as you stay on top of maintenance and follow manufacturers instructions when you replace your filters, you will drink clean water.
Freedom - Filtering your own water eliminates the unknown and frees you from reliance on the questionable testing and regulation of big bottled water companies.
A better end product - Filtering your own tap water provides double protection; not only does the city clean it, but so do you.
Money - When you consider that on a conservative average bottles of water sell for about a dollar apiece, a water habit is an expensive one. Installing a filtration system can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Peace of Mind - Beyond the money saved, drinking filtered water vs. bottled water is better for the environment and better for the people you love.