Berkeley’s Tap Water and Bottled Water
Health, Environmental and Economic Impacts
Safety & Health Concerns
While many assume that our tap water is not as safe or as clean as the bottled water we purchase every
day, tap water actually has more stringent health regulations than bottled water. City water is regulated
and screened 100 times a month, whereas bottled water is screened only 4 times a month. Bottled
water companies are exempt from mandatory testing for common pathogens that cause diarrhea and
certain toxic or cancer-causing chemicals such as phthalates. In addition, while the Environmental
Protection Agency does not allow any traces of fecal E. coli bacteria to be present in city tap water,
bottled water products are not held to this standard.
The reality is that San Franciscans and East Bay residents enjoy some of the highest quality and most
delicious drinking water in the nation -- our primary source of water is the pristine Sierra snowmelt from
the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Every year our water is tested more than 100,000
times to ensure that it meets or exceeds every standard for safe drinking water.
Also consider the impact of drinking water (or not drinking water) on your health. In the US daily calorie
intake has increased by greater than 500 calories since the 1970s and sweetened beverages intake has
tripled during that same time period, making up the highest percentage of those additional calories.
These extra empty calories are a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic and associated
complications such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Water is a delicious, accessible, and
refreshing choice, and much healthier for you than sweetened beverages.
Environmental Concerns
Along with outshining bottled water in regards to health and safety, tap water is also the
environmentally friendly choice. Each year about 50 billion plastic bottles of drinking water are
purchased in the United States, requiring the energy equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil -enough to fuel more than one million vehicles for a year and produce more than 2.5 million tons of
carbon dioxide. Transporting bottled water across hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles spews
carbon dioxide into the air and contributes to climate change. And while recycling programs exist, three
out of every four plastic water bottles will end up in the landfill or are incinerated, tainting our
groundwater aquifers and polluting our air.
Economic Impact
Bottled water packs a heavy punch to your wallet. Depending on the brand, Americans may spend
anywhere from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon on bottled water, while tap water costs an average of $0.02
per gallon. This means that if you decided to satisfy your 8-glasses of water a day through bottled water,
you could spend as much as $1,400 a year, whereas the same amount of tap water would cost on
average $0.49. According to the Environmental Working Group of the FDA, 44% of bottled water is just
tap water.
Want to learn more?
The following websites feature more information about water quality:
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UCB I Heart Tap Water Campaign: http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/tapwater/
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter – What You Should Know About Your Drinking Water:
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/fw/fwLon12Water.html
East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): http://www.ebmud.com/
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): www.epa.gov/safewater/
American Water Works Association: http://drinktap.org/