TimesToCome

Clearly paying as much as $2.50 for a drink of water when you can get it for pennies is silly unless there is something very special about that water. So why has bottled water consumption doubled between 2000 and 2006?

It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil each year to create the bottles to hold bottled water. This is enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars for one year. 80% of plastic water containers are not recycled in the U.S. The plastic containers are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which has been determined safe by FDA for use as food containers. However, despite net lore, there are not phthalates in the water bottles. Phthalates are used for many things but are banned for use as food containers in the U.S. Bottled water contains more antimony, the longer the water sits the more antimony it has in it. It has to do with a reaction from the container. Still it is well below safe levels.

Tap water is just as good for you as bottled water. 40% of bottled waters are just tap water with some added ingredients.If you must buy bottled water be sure to read the label.

Bottled water label items:

Artesian, ground, spring, well water: These may or may not be treated, spring is collected as it comes to the surface, the rest of these comes from wells except ground water which may be collected either way.

Distilled water: Steam from boiling water is recondensed then bottled. This kills microbes and removes minerals, but ruins the flavor of the water.

Mineral water: Ground water containing 250 ppm of dissolved solids.

Purified: Water that is free of chemicals, no more than 10 ppm of dissolved solids.

Sterile water: Free of all microbes.

Glacier water, mountain water: This has no meaning, these are just marketing terms.

Micron filtration: Water filtered through screens with small holes to filter out microbes and chemicals.

Ozonation: Water is distilled using ozone to kill microbes.

Reverse osmosis: Water is forced under pressure through membrane removing all microbes, minerals, and chemicals.

Ultraviolet light: Water is passed through uv light killing most microbes.

More info
EPA Drinking Water and Health: What you need to know
Bottled water, a natural resource taxing the world’s ecosystem
Phthalate Information center