 Bottle
watter is portrayed as pure - more pure than tap water. At least that is the perception
everyone has of bottled water.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103
different brands of bottled water from bought in California, Florida, Illinois, New York,
Texas and the District of Columbia.
About one-third of the brands tested had at least one sample that was contaminated with
high levels of pollutants that exceeded levels allowed by California or bottled water
industry standards or guidelines.
The study found 22 percent of waters contained levels of synthetic compounds such as
arsenic that exceeded the California limit, and 17 percent contained levels of bacteria
above voluntary industry standards.
More than one-fifth of tested brands contained levels of bacteria or cancer-causing
compounds that exceeded the California limit, which is the strictest in the country.
Seventeen percent of tested brands contained more bacteria than allowed under voluntary
purity guidelines.
13 states have no staff or resources dedicated to regulating bottled water.
The study also found that around 40 percent of bottled waters are nothing more than
re-packaged municipal tap water which may or may not have been subject to additional
treatment.
Currently, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water
for bacteria and chemical contaminants. “Bottled water is essentially regulated
on the honor system in most states, said study author Erik Olson. There is no
requirement that water be tested in certified labs. Bottlers are not required to report
known standards violations. And unlike tap water suppliers, bottlers need not disclose to
consumers known contaminants in their products.”
So how do you find out if the bottled water you buy is safe and pure?
“Most times you would have no idea,” Olson said. “The consumer is
left out in the cold.”
The Food and Drug administration regulates bottled water on a federal level, but waters
bottled and sold within the same state (about 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water) are
exempt and regulated by state authorities.
Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency which has stricter
requirements for water including disinfection and testing for parasites such as giardia.
"Bottled water is essentially regulated on the honor system in most
states," said Eric Olson, one of the authors of the report. "Unlike tap
water suppliers, bottlers need not disclose to consumers known contaminants in their
products."
Americans drink an estimated 3.4 billion gallons of bottled water, often sold as
distilled water, spring water or mineral water, each year. Consumption has been increasing
about 10 percent a year, the industry says. |
Water Not Fit to Drink!