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Savings on Bottled Water
What about those bottles of water that so many people have become attached to? First, they're expensive --- sometimes costing more than $1.00 per liter, which translates into 800 to 4800 times the cost of tap water. Second, they're cumbersome to tote, and you have to go to the store to purchase them. Third, all of those plastic containers must be recycled, or they'll crowd landfills. And finally, depending on the source of the bottled water, it may be nothing more than filtered municipal water. In fact, contrary to the popular image of remote Alpine meadows and unspoiled streams, bottled-water sources are often near metropolitan areas. |
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Also of interest is the fact that Federal standards for bottled water are no stricter than standards for tap water. That means that federal regulations only require bottlers to test for a handful of the hundreds of known chemical contaminants. And water not sold across state lines is not regulated by the FDA. So what exactly is in those little bottles of water? The contents can be divided into three categories:
Bottled water labeled as distilled water is essentially tap water that has been boiled to remove contaminants, natural salts and minerals.
Natural spring and mineral waters make up the second category. These waters contain high levels of dissolved minerals and salts. Because they come from ground sources, most spring and mineral waters are filtered. This filtering process, however, is not guaranteed to remove all contaminants.
The third category of bottled water consists of treated drinking water, which is disinfected, filtered municipal water.
Despite what is or what is not in bottled water, it has become an acceptable --- and even fashionable --- alternative to tap water. But it is not the only alternative. In-home drinking water systems, which have also boomed in popularity in recent years, deliver the same benefits and more, without the inconvenience. And best of all, they're actually less expensive than bottled water!
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