Spring to the Tap
December 10, 2012
“Bottled water is the greatest advertising and marketing trick of all time” said Barbara Lipert in
the documentary Tapped (Tapped). Bottled water companies have had to conjure demand for their
product out of thin air, as 30 years ago most people would have gaffed at the idea of bottling and selling
water. Today, proponents of bottled water point to its health benefits, recyclability, and convenience,
while opponents bring up the health hazards, environmental impact, and relative cost. What is the truth
about bottled water? The bottled water companies and their multi-million dollar advertising campaigns,
extreme censorship programs, and powerful legal resources will do anything to make you believe their
side of the story. The truth is that bottled water has become a necessity in the 21st century; it reflects the
cultural love affair with disposability and the country’s reliance on oil. The corporations make more and
more money while their products harm people and the environment. In a society where clean drinking
water comes out of the tap, the existence of bottled water should be questioned.
Head-to-head, does bottled water even taste better than tap water? In a recent blind taste test in
Washington, DC a majority of the 800 people tested preferred the taste of tap water or could not tell the
difference in taste between tap water and bottled water (“DC Water”). Two Enumclaw taste tests,
although unscientific, echoed the results of the DC taste test and many others across the country. One in
four brands of bottled water is actually bottled tap water and only some companies filter the water before
significantly marking up the price (“Bottled Water”). Not only do consumers purchase a product that they
prefer less often than tap water, but also one that is more than 4,000 times more expensive than tap water.
Both Coca-Cola’s Dasani brand bottled water and Pepsi’s Aquafina brand bottled water sell for $1.79 for
a 20 ounce bottle. Nestlé’s Arrowhead brand sells for 89¢ for a 20 ounce bottle. Enumclaw tap water
costs $1.84 for 100 cubic feet (“Utility Billing”). To put the difference in perspective Dasani and
Aquafina would cost $8,569.68 and Arrowhead would cost $4,260.61 for 100 cubic feet. To illustrate the
point further a 20 ounce reusable bottle could be refilled once a day for twelve years and nine months
before the cost of tap water equals $1.79 and six years four months before the cost equals 89¢. The
majority of people favor the taste of tap water and yet they pay outrageous amounts of money for its
bottled counterpart.
Bottled water is touted as a responsible choice, a drink for people who want to be healthy. Bottled
water is healthier than soda and will help you lose weight and get healthy. The bottled water companies
state that bottled water is a great alternative to consumers who wish to avoid moderate calories, caffeine,
sugar, or other ingredients that are commonly found in bottled beverages (International Bottled). It is also
the perfect size for running, riding a bike, hiking, or any other activity. Water is essential to the human
body and water is essential “…in a healthy lifestyle” (International Bottled). Supporters say that bottled
water is more sanitary because it comes in a plastic bottle. Bottled water is safe because it is “…intended
solely for human consumption” and it is presented in individual, sealed containers (International Bottled).
Proponents of bottled water point to its convenience. It can be easier to grab a bottle from the vending
machine or grocery store while you are on the go. It can be picked up in several useful sizes “… and ‘onthe go’… convenience—size packages” (International Bottled). Plastic bottled water containers are also
recyclable; this means that they can be reused for new plastic bottles or other products, and the bottles are
good for the environment because they can be recycled. Bottled water companies market their bottles with
green names like PlantBottle®, Eco-Fina Bottle™, and ReBorn™ Bottle (names from Dasani, Aquafina,
and Arrowhead, respectively). Those three names suggest that the bottles have a benign impact on the
environment. Overall, supporters of bottled water say that it has a cleaner taste, better quality, and is more
convenient than tap water.
Spring to the Tap
December 10, 2012
Water is a healthy choice, but bottled water is not healthy. First, in advocating bottled water’s
health benefits the companies point to water’s inherent health benefits, but doing so in a way that suggests
that bottled water is healthier than tap water, a statement that cannot be backed up. Municipal water is
stringently regulated by the EPA while bottled water is overseen by the FDA. A comparison of the two
regulatory systems found that FDA requires very little from the bottled water companies. This can be
especially concerning as the industry exists solely to generate profit. GAO testing concluded that the FDA
does not have “…authority to require bottlers to use certified laboratories… or to report test results, even
if violations of the standards are found” (“Highlights”). Bottled water companies can perform tests inhouse and they do not have to report the results. This is a direct contradiction to municipal water quality
reports, which have to be made publically available. Even if bottled water is generally safe, the likelihood
that it would cause health problems is much greater than tap water. Contamination in tap water is almost
always caused by degrading household plumbing systems and tap filters or filter pitchers are easy, low
cost ways to ensure high quality tap water. Bottled water may pose additional health risks because of the
plastic containers in which it is packaged. 20 ounce plastic bottles are made of PET or PETE which is
short for polyethylene terephthalate. PET is produced in large petrochemical plants and is linked to other
potentially carcinogenic substances (Tapped). PET has also shown the potential to leach toxic chemicals
into its contents, a condition that could be aggravated if the bottle was submitted to physical stress
(Shotyk). Also concerning is the 5 gallon containers which contain bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that is
linked to many health risks because of its hormone mimicking nature (Tapped). Although bottled water is
recyclable, that does not make it environmentally friendly, “about three-quarters of the water bottles…
were discarded and not recycled” (“Highlights”). Millions of plastic bottles are ending up in the landfill
where they remain for hundreds of years, but many more are littered (“Highlights”). Those littered bottles
most likely end up washing into a river, and then the ocean, where they collect and form massive bodies
of waste “…accumulating in the each of the 5 oceanic gyres” thus affecting marine life around the globe
(“Accumulation”). Bottled water pollutes from the creation of the plastics, pollutes from the
transportation of the packaged water bottles, and pollutes from the disposal (whether that is incineration
or litter) of the bottles. While some may argue that bottled water is sustainable because it can be recycled
into other fibers which can be used to make carpets, clothes, or other products, in reality these products
cannot be recycled, and only delay the trip to the landfill. The overwhelming costs of bottled water on the
public’s safety and the environment drastically outweigh the benefits of a convenient product.
Bottled water has no place in our communities; the industry has force feed the public with probottled water propaganda, creating demand from scratch. Now I ask you, is it really worth it? Why would
you even consider something that harms the environment, costs thousands of times more, and could be
harmful to your health? All you have to do is ditch bottled water and encourage your friends and loved
ones to do the same. It only takes a little foresight to grab a reusable bottle, and it will make yourself and
your community better in the short and long term. Do not give in to the marketing tricks; bottled water is
not a necessity in our community.
Spring to the Tap
December 10, 2012
Works Cited
“Accumulation” 5 Gyres. 5 Gyres Institute. n. d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.
Aquafina. PepsiCo, Inc. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.
Arrowhead. Nestlé Waters North America. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.
“Bottled Water” NRDC. Natural Resources Defense Council. 25 Apr. 2008. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.
Dasani. Coca-Cola Company. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.
“DC Water: Tap Water Beats Bottled in Taste Test” NBC Washington. NBC Universal, Inc., 15 Oct.
2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.
“Highlights of GAO-09-610” GAO. United States Government Accountability Office. Jun. 2009. Web.
18 Nov. 2012.
International Bottled Water Association. International Bottled Water Association. n.d. Web. 18 Nov.
2012.
Shotyk, W, and M Krachler. “Contamination of bottled waters with antimony leaching from polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) increases upon storage.” PubMed. National Center for Biotechnology
Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. n. pag. Web. Mar. 2007.
Tapped. Dir. Stephanie Soechtig. Atlas Films, 2010. DVD.
“Utility Billing/Rate Information” City of Enumclaw. City of Enumclaw. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Nov.
2012.