Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

The Ongoing Debate

There are a number of reasons that people argue over whether bottled water or tap water is superior for consumption. The first and foremost appears to be purity. Since bottled water falls under the category of a packaged food product it is governed by FDA regulations. These regulations require that bottled water is packaged in a sanitary and sealed container. These containers must be approved by the FDA for contact with food. To further ensure the purity of bottled water most bottlers will use any number of processes such as distillation, filtration, ozonation and reverse osmosis to meet industry standards.

Taste is the second most important reason consumers reach for a bottle of water. Since many public water systems use chlorine for disinfection, it is most often named as a reason for preferring bottled water over tap water. Chlorine has a distinct aftertaste, further influencing the public to choose bottled water.

Finally, Americans rely on the convenience of bottled water for an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle. Bottled water is for sale at convenience stores, gas stations, vending machines, and grocers making it the beverage of choice for Americans on the go.