EnviroGirl on Tap Water
Welcome, EnviroGirl, our Guest Blogger on Blog Action Day, and thank you for being our Guest Blogger!
Thanks, Intlxpatr, for inviting me to be your guest blogger.
Intlxpatr knows that I am passionate about drinking tap water, as well as encouraging others to do the same. I’ve almost always chosen to drink tap water over bottled water, primarily because it’s cheaper that bottled water, and it’s readily available (just turn on the faucet!).
Over the last year I’ve learned that there are even more reasons to drink tap water (at least in the U.S.). So I’ll quickly share with you a few reasons why you should save your money and drink tap water. If you want to do more research on the topic, I’ve included a few links below.
Why you should choose tap water over bottled…
1) Tap water is tested stringently for chemical and microbiological contaminants. It is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and must comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Bottled Water is often regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and does not fall under the Safe Drinking Water Act. (All water in the U.S. falls under the Safe Drinking Water Act.) This means that it is not tested as rigorously as tap water. In addition, your community water provider is required to send you a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) every year. The CCR should inform you of the quality of your tap water and if any contaminants have been detected. Try finding this information on the label of a bottle of water.
2) Bottled water is not only more expensive to purchase, the environment costs are greater too. Bottled water must be shipped to your location, which means more fossil-fuel emissions into the air. After the water is consumed, the plastic bottle must be disposed of. If the bottle is not recycled, it will be tossed in a landfill where it will take about 700 years (plastic bottle recycling facts) to decompose.
3) Clean drinking water is a valuable resource. Recently, droughts and pressures from population growth have created water shortages. In communities experiencing water shortages, bottling water has become a hot topic because it depletes local drinking water supplies. Water use restrictions may be imposed on the community, while the bottled water company is still packaging and selling the amount of water it was permitted to use (For example – http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bottledwater1307oct13,0,6642058.story). This also leads into the importance of conserving drinking water resources and implementing creative strategies such as water reuse (Info on water reuse – http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/recycling/index.html ).
Again, the information above regarding water quality is for tap water in the U.S. In countries that do not have adequate sanitation it is not advisable to drink tap water. If you live outside of the U.S., the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission are two organizations that have water quality standards that many countries choose to adopt. You can search online to determine if your country follows any of these standards and if your tap water is safe to drink.
Links:
U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/basicinformation.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Drinking Water:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/
World Health Organization – Drinking Water:
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/en/
European Commission – Drinking Water:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-drink/index_en.html
Website for Water in the Middle East:
http://www.al-bab.com/arab/env/water.htm
National Resource Defense Council – Bottled Water Q & A:
http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qbw.asp
Plastic bottle recycling facts (U.S.):
http://earth911.org/recycling/plastic-bottle-recycling/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/
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Hey there Envirogirl! Thanks for the info.. π
did u taste the tap water here? it taste like swimming pool water
Yay, Envirogirl! Great blog! More people need to realize the downside to bottled water and be tap-positive (at least in suitable areas). And when the water tastes horrid, which I’ve experienced in many US locations, a filter works fine, or add a few drops of lemon juice. And soda manufacturers are even bigger water-consumers (not to mention packaging). With the continuing drought in the southeast, I heard that Coca-Cola/Atlanta may be (asked? forced) to reduce production – but not soon. (I’m trying to cut down on soda…really!)
What about those large 19-liter water bottles? They use less plastic per gallon/liter and the companies will recycle them for you!
π In many parts of the Middle East there is no tap water – you have to have a separate faucet for it, and not all buildings have apartments with dedicated faucets.
And even when you do, the tap isn’t “on” all the time – mine is out anywhere from 3 to 10 hours a day. I have a Brita filter and a huge (2 liter) water bottle that I refill, but I also have small bottles of water because … if there are no other options, you need them!
In the Gulf I know the tap water is technically clean but I’ve been advised not to drink it – at least in the Emirates (not sure about Kuwait). Much of it is desalinated, and their chemical standards are different from the US. Basically, its not _dirty_, but its hard on your stomach.
It makes me sad to think that drinking water is one of the many basic services that Lebanon doesn’t provide its citizens (and most people can’t afford bottled water, even bottles that cost $.50), but … it doesn’t.
I can’t get on my own blog today. WordPress keeps telling me it’s the wrong password, and I know it is the right one.
Chici – good morning!
EniGma – Ever see the entry I did on the kids who tormented the cats and ended up drowning them in the building water supply? Most of the time, my water tastes OK. I brush my teeth with it and drink it, but I put it through the Brita filter first.
Hey, Sparkle! I didn’t know you were also passionate about this issue.
Little Diamond – What a pity. And you are right, unless there are standards, and people are held accountable, we really don’t know how safe the water might be.
Ever since I heard about water affecting fertility I’ve been wary of where I get my drinking water from. In the States I used to use a Brita filter and then opted for bottled water. Envirogirl stresses the expense aspect but it’s really not too expensive for most people.
I just read in a previous post that Envirogirl is your daughter-in-law. Lucky your son married a saver π
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Drinking Tab water in Asia & The ME can give you Hepatitis.
Be careful.
I love Tab water too – am from Europe and at almost all places you can drink it safely, but not here… π¦
for all of you passionate about choosing tap water over bottled water, Corporate Accountability International has just launched the Think Outside The Bottle campaign. You can get more information at http://www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org or sign the pledge to drink tap water and not bottled water at http://www.stopcorporateabusenow.org/campaign/think_outside_the_bottle_pledge?source=blogpl
thanks!
so yo u are concerned for everything , i hope what you want to try , you become successful!
Morning, Zin! Yes, you are right, not all tap water is safe. I actually drink the water here and use water from the tap for brushing my teeth, but I don’t do that in Africa! We need to be sure the water is safe. EnviroGirl and LawNOrder man are amazing people, they are like you, they are the hope of the future.
Nicole – Tap water here can give you hepatitus! Horrors!
Nick, thank you for more valuable information on drinking tap water.
TSD – I usually don’t allow advertisers, but I can see your comment was not sent to the world, and I kind of liked the displays you sell.
Well, it’s a warning I got from my Doc in Germany.
If you have valid Hepatitis A shots you are safe to go. No probs then (well, maybe the normal digestion problems, grin)