Bottled Water – Did You Know…?

Our county public works department has a recycling department and we received a regular mailer from them this week. I wanted to share what they included in the latest newsletter. It makes me SO glad to have well water and that we don’t use plastics!! DH was up late the other night and learned (for himself) just how toxic fluoride is to our systems, he was horrified! He thanked me the next morning for eliminating toothpastes with fluoride in them. LOL At any rate, here’s what the newsletter said:

Gallon for gallon, bottled water costs more than gasoline – and at least 25 percent of bottled water is just processed tap water.

Tap water is much less expensive. In some cases, you’re paying for little more than the bottle itself: At least 25 percent (some experts say as much as 40 percent) of bottled water is nothing more than processed tap water. Beverage companies aren’t legally required to disclose the source of their water. If it doesn’t say “spring water”, chances are it comes from the same or a similar source as tap water.

Tap water is regulated more rigorously than bottled water. Municipal water is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has more regulatory oversight than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which oversees standards for bottled water. It’s impossible to make any water totally free of contaminants, but most amounts in tap water are tiny – and tap water has to meet higher standards than bottled water.

It’s better for the environment. It takes three to four times the amount of water in the bottle just to make the plastic for the bottle, and that’s not including how much oil is used and how much carbon dioxide is created when the water is shipped to the store.

Take it with you.To make tap water more convenient for travel, put it in a washable stainless-steel bottle. (our family uses glass bottles) Water bottles made of regular plastic, when reused, can harbor bacteria, and they aren’t made to withstand the heat of a dishwasher.

Buy Domestic. If you can’t break the bottled water habit, look for a brand that hasn’t been shipped across the world. The less distance the water has to travel, the fewer greenhouse gases are produced.

• 28 Billion – Number of plastic water bottles purchased in the U.S. annually.
• 1.5 Million Barrels – Amount of oil used to make those bottles
• $11 Billion – Amount Americans spend on bottled water annually.
• 16 – Percentage of plastic water bottles that get recycled annually.
• 2.5 Million – Number of plastic water bottles Americans discard hourly.

– From Women’s Health Magazine