Jul 20, 2007 12:08 am US/Central
Good Question: Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap?
by Ben Tracy
(WCCO)
There are about 326 million trillion gallons of water on Earth. While only about 2 percent of that is fresh water, there is still plenty for us to drink.
These days, more and more of us want our water in a bottle. In fact, we're drinking more bottled water than milk, coffee or beer. Bottled water is convenient, and some of us don't like the taste of the tap.
Bottled water is now a $10 billion business, and water is one of the most expensive liquids around.
For instance, an ounce of gas costs about 2.2 cents. That equates to about $2.80 per gallon. But individual bottled water is about 6.2 cents per ounce, which is almost $8 per gallon.
Is bottled water any better than the free stuff from the tap?
"There isn't a whole lot of difference," said Dr. William Arnold, who studies water quality at the University of Minnesota. "Some people view it as safer. Some people view it as healthier. Is it any better? I would say probably not."
Most metro tap water comes from the Mississippi River and is then treated. What's in our bottles is not much different.
Bottled "drinking water" is basically enhanced tap water. "Spring water" is water from a spring with minerals. "Mineral water" is purified water with minerals. "Distilled water" is water without minerals.
Tap water is purified water with minerals, and Arnold says water from the tap is pretty similar to the water in the bottle.
"Some companies actually take the tap water and then purify it and then actually add some stuff back in and sell it," Arnold said. "Largely, water is just water."
Tap water purification is actually more regulated than bottled water purification. Several studies have shown that water from the tap is just as clean as the stuff in the bottle. In fact, most bottled water starts at the very same place our tap water does: in rivers, streams and wells.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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