Bottled water in the US costs 240-10,000 times more than tap water. Some bottled water is just bottled tap water and can be contaminated. Tap water regulations are stricter and it may contain essential minerals. Most plastic bottles are not recycled, causing environmental concerns.
According to a 1999 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), on average, bottled water costs between 240 and 10,000 times more than tap water in the United States. In 1990, a gallon of bottled water, on average, cost 90 cents, while 500 gallons of tap water cost just 80 cents. The study was conducted in light of the growing demand for bottled water in the United States. About one-third of Americans are believed to drink bottled water on a regular basis. The NRDC has found that not only does bottled water cost significantly more than tap water, it’s not necessarily better or safer than tap water. In fact, some “bottled water” is really just bottled tap water. Nearly a third of the 103 brands of bottled water tested by the NRDC were found to be contaminated with bacteria or chemicals. The regulations applied to tap water appear to be stricter than the regulations applied to bottled water in many US states. Additionally, bottled water isn’t always superior to tap water in essential minerals like calcium and magnesium. Environmentalists are also proponents of tap water as all plastic bottles used for bottled water are not recycled.
Read more about bottled water:
There are approximately 600 different brands of bottled water in the United States.
At least 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled; end up in landfill.
Bundanoon City in Australia banned bottled water in 2009. The city has been using water fountains ever since.
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