Bottled water no better than tap water
2001-05-04 11:54
Charnicia E. Huggins
New York - Although bottled water may
often be considered a safer and purer alternative to tap water,
a recent report indicates that this does not necessarily hold
true in every case.
"In some cases, bottled water is actually bottled tap
water," writes study author Catherine Ferrier of the University
of Geneva in Switzerland. Yet it "can be a safe alternative"
for individuals in developing countries, she told Reuters
Health.
The major categories of bottled water include natural
mineral water or spring water - both of which originate
underground, are protected against pollution and cannot be
chemically treated. Bottled water can also contain purified
water - surface or underground water that requires treatment to
be suitable for human consumption.
But purified water differs from tap water in only two ways:
it is bottled and it is more expensive, the report indicates.
Yet, the demand for bottled water continues to grow. Each
year, the amount consumed worldwide increases by 7%, according
to Ferrier.
One reason for this is that many consumers believe that
bottled water is healthier and more natural than tap water.
Others say it tastes better.
"Above all, bottled water is a huge marketing success," the
author writes.
The world-wide bottled water market is worth an estimated
$22 billion, the report indicates. Further, it costs an average
of 500 to 1 000 times more than tap water.
"Consumers in developed countries should look at what
they're buying, in many cases, they may not need it," said
Biksham Gujja, head of the freshwater program at the World Wide
Fund For Nature (WWF), which commissioned the study. "It's
better to examine what they're getting for the money they're
paying," he told Reuters Health. WWF is formerly known as the
World Wildlife Fund.
For example, according to a recent report in Archives of
Family Medicine, tap water is often safer than bottled
water - it has less bacteria and more fluoride than most of the
bottled waters that are sold in the United States.
"Bottled waters should not be considered a sustainable
alternative to tap water: they are not exempt of periodical
contamination and are less energy-efficient than tap water,''
Ferrier concludes.
"Tap water is and should remain a public service meant to
deliver good quality drinking water," she added.
In response to Ferrier's study, the International Bottled
Water Association asserts that the "WWF has chosen to pit tap
water against bottled water, while offering no meaningful
solutions to the problem," the problem being the need to clean
up and protect the world's water resources.
"The fact is, people are increasingly choosing bottled
water because of its consistent high quality, safety, taste and
convenience," according to the association.
- Reuters