Bottled water

Bottled water is basically drinking water, sold or distributed inside a plastic or glass bottle. Usually, bottled water is packaged using polyethylene terephthalate bottles, or what we commonly know as "PET" bottles. Other bottled water comes in the form using high-density polyethylene plastic or polycarbonate plastic bottles.

There are several forms of water being sold as "bottled water" in the market. Some of them may be:

•  Artesian water - water that came from a well underground. When the well is dug and the underground pressure is built up, the water flows up, similar to a fountain •  Spring water - water from underground that flows naturally onto the earth's surface •  Purified water - water that was rendered free from any contaminants through processes such as distillation or other means •  Distilled water - water that went through evaporation via steam then condensed back into liquid form, leaving behind minerals and other contaminants

•  Mineral water - water from the ground that passed over rocks or water which contains not less than 250 ppm of total dissolved solids. To put simply, it is water with high mineral content.

Health effects of Bottled Water

Bottled water is often preferred by consumers since it is thought to be safer and of better quality than regular tap water. There are also bottled water with additives such as micronutrients, believed to be beneficial to one's health. Water in this packaging is said to be free from contaminants that tap water has since bottled water companies boast that their water went through elaborate filtration process to remove corrosion and other materials that may contaminate water flowing through pipes. Other bottled water companies even claim that their water can be beneficial to the consumers' health by adding selected nutrients and certain "medicinal properties" to its water.

However, it was found out that not all bottled water is superior than tap water. Distilled water, for instance, was said to increase the risk of having dental cavities since it lack fluoride compared to fluoridated tap water.

Some commercially available bottled water were found to be just tap water placed in a bottle with fancy labels to entice consumers to buy them.

In the United States, the FDA and EPA had set regulations to keep bottled and tap water, respectively, within safe levels for human consumption. Other private groups occasionally conduct independent studies to assess safety of both bottled and tap water. For other countries, the WHO's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality is being followed.

In a 1999 study by the NRDC, there were bottled water brands found to contain chemical contaminants above the state's designated allowable level, which can be harmful when taken over a long period of time.

Another concern with bottled water is the bottle themselves. Disposable water bottles account for one third of the total waste in the United States. These bottles, especially the PET bottle types, are considered non-biodegradable and are considered as environmental hazards.

Certain groups try to convince consumers not to patronize bottled water since they are no better than regular tap water. Not only that consumers will save a lot from not buying these bottled water but they also contribute in saving the environment by not adding to the plastic waste that we already have.

Bottled tap water

As said earlier, there are certain bottled water brands which obtain water straight from the tap. These companies are making huge profits by bottling water from the same source as water we get from our faucets, selling them at more than a thousand times more than what it should really cost.

Bottled water companies

It is common knowledge that even the bottled water distributed by big and well-known companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola get water for bottling from a municipal source---the same source of tap water. Big beverage companies are known to sell bottled water along with their other beverage line-up, for example:

•  Nestlé (Nestle Pure Life, Perrier and San Pellegrino, among others)
•  Coca Cola (Dasani, Glaceau/Energy Brands)
•  Pepsi Cola (Aquafina)

Top 10 bottled water brands

1. Fiji – artesian water from Viti, Levu in Fiji

2. Evian – a brand of mineral water coming from springs in Evian-les-Bains, France

3. Naya – natural spring water from the foot of the Laurentian Mountains, north of Montreal, Canada. Water from this source is said to be naturally sodium-free.

4. Dasani – filtered tap water, bottled by Coca-Cola

5. Canadian Springs – “natural spring water” from aquafiers in different source in Canada. Canadian Springs also sell demineralized water where the water goes through distillation or reverse osmosis. It was not stated in their website whether the demineralized water they sell initially came from tap water or other sources.

6. Aquafina – water is derived from a local municipal source then processed to remove “virtually all minerals” in the water. This brand is distributed by Pepsi Cola.

7. Nestle Pure Life – In the United States, Nestle Pure Life is actually filtered water.

8. Waiwera Water – artesian water from New Zealand

9. Voss – artesian water from Vatnestrøm, Norway

10. Arrowhead – water is said to come from various springs in California

For consumers who are not still sold to the idea of drinking plain tap water, there are alternatives to bottled water which they might want to consider.

Bottled water delivery

Households, offices and other business establishments usually get bottled water delivery service. While this particular service still make use of bottled water per se, it may still reduce the amount of plastic waste. It is considered less contributory to environmental waste since it make use of one big bottle (having the capacity to hold 3 or 5 gallons) containing water that can be shared by numerous people, as opposed to having the same number of people buying single-served bottled water. It also makes use of bottles which can be recycled and reused by customers who subscribe to their service.

Bottled Water Dispenser advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

1. It does not need to be attached to any plumbing
2. It is much more mobile, storage is easy, and good for places which lacks much space
3. You can set it up yourself and convenient to use
4. Easy to clean
5. Has a wide variety of choices in terms of design, brand and price.

Disadvantages

1. Bottled water bought from the seller may not be fresh or is not guaranteed fresh
2. People who drink from it are still at risk of contaminant which may leech through the plastic bottle
3. Need to keep the dispenser clean to avoid being contaminated with dust and dirt
4. Need to keep the emptied bottles which can take up space until the delivery service picks it up.