Bottled Water: 10 Shockers "They" Don't Want You to Know
What's really in the stuff and why does it cost 3,000 times more than tap?
Here Dr. Peter Gleick, the author of "Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water," shares 10 of the most shocking facts about bottled water.
The Most Expensive Tap Water on Earth?
In fact, nearly half of all bottled water is reprocessed tap water, sold at prices up to 3,000 times higher than consumers pay for tap water. And even before the additional processing, the water meets federal water-quality standards.
Crickets in Water and Nobody Told You?
There have been more than 100 recalls of contaminated bottled water, often months after the products were delivered to store shelves, says Dr. Gleick, who worries that the public rarely gets the memo.
What sorts of contaminants have been found in bottled water?
Benzene, mold, sodium hydroxide, kerosene, styrene, algae, yeast, tetrahydrofuran, sand, fecal coliform and other bacteria, elevated chlorine, glass particles, sanitizer, and crickets, says Gleick.
Yes, crickets.
What Does the Government Really Test?
"Our standards for protecting both tap water and bottled water ought to be stricter," says Dr. Gleick. "But tap water is better regulated."
Drowning in Bottled Water
Bottled Water Doesn't Always Taste Better
Different waters have different tastes, depending on the natural minerals found in them. But blind taste test after blind taste test has shown that bottled water is not consistently preferred over tap water.
Few Water Bottles Get Recycled
Most plastic water bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This wonderful plastic (tasteless, clear, light, flexible, strong) could be recycled and made into new bottles, but it isn't. Even the fraction of PET that is recycled ends up being "downcycled" into clothes, carpet, toys, and packaging materials.
Where Does it Really Come From?
We get "Arctic Spring Water" from Florida, "Everest" water from Texas, "Glacier Mountain" water from Ohio and New Jersey, and "Yosemite" water from Los Angeles.
Says Dr. Gleick, more stringent rules about bottled water labels would require honest information on where the water comes from, how it has been treated or processed, and where the consumer can go to get up-to-date and independent information on water quality.
Are Bottles Replacing Fountains?
In 2007, for example, the University of Central Florida opened its brand-new 45,000-plus seat football stadium, which had been built without a single water fountain, says Dr. Gleick. In the opening game at the stadium, 78 people had to be treated for heat-related illness.
After the debacle and a Facebook backlash, the stadium installed scores of fountains.
Modern water fountains can chill and filter water and be designed with taps to fill refillable bottles.
Bottled Water Isn't Pushing Aside Soda
Americans now drink more bottled water than milk.