The Water We Drink
by Constance Young

Which water is the most fit to drink? Tap, filtered, or bottled water? This dilemma has both easy and hard answers. The complete unfiltered answer lies in part on where you live and whether or not you rely on a private well—and if the latter is well-tested and maintained (no pun intended).

The short answer was expressed in an FDA journal article, "Bottled Water: Better Than Tap?" It quotes an official with the Minnesota Department of Health saying that, as much as consumers can generally depend on the safety and quality of bottled water, they can also depend on their tap water. Municipal water systems serving 25 people or more are subject to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and as such must be constantly and thoroughly tested for harmful substances. But other issues are also involved.

Cost and convenience are factors, for example. No question, the global bottled water industry is a big money maker. Just look at the proliferation of fashionable new waters with fancy labels and promises. A case in point: just before Earth Day I received press releases for three fancy new specialty brand waters. Two of these—Totally Organica water and Love, Compassion, and Peace, from a company called State of Mind — claim eco-friendliness and that they use a biodegradable bottle. The third, Blackberry Water, purports to be for the "healthy-minded," including such Hollywood celebrities as Miley Cyrus and Victoria Beckham. Then there is the growing array of so-called "sports" and vitamin waters.

To parse out which if any of these bottled waters is best, we need to know something about how bottled waters are made. The truth is, a handful of huge companies take in billions of dollars each year from water that they simply extract from the ground, slap a label on and sell at competitive prices. About one-quarter of the bottled waters consumed in the US come from municipal water supplies—in other words, tap water. If the label on the water reads "purified," "distilled" or "drinking water," it probably comes from a municipal water supply. The best-selling brands in the U.S. are Pepsi's Aquafina and Coke's Dasani. Nestle has the biggest share of the bottled water market with three brands—Perrier, Poland Spring and Deer Park. Bottled water companies are required to label their waters to show where the water comes from and if it has been purified or carbonated (see "What's Behind the Label" below).

The good news is that the FDA regulates bottled waters as part of interstate commerce law, so that in theory they must adhere to the FDA's standards for quality, labeling, and good manufacturing practices. (In practice, the FDA has long been understaffed and is currently in a state of flux.) Specific regulations define the different types of bottled water and set maximum levels of allowable chemical, bacterial and other contaminants. This may sound good, but it does not give bottled water an advantage over tap water since the same EPA standards generally apply for both tap and bottled water.

Tap Water
If tap water doesn't look or taste as appealing as some bottled waters, that doesn't mean it is unsafe, since the most dangerous contaminants in water are those that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. Municipal waters in truth are often just as tasty and pure as the most expensive bottled waters. By law, municipal systems have to give customers a chemical analysis of the composition of their water on request. In our area you can usually find a breakdown of your local water on the town's website. Most of our local systems get their waters from town wells. On the other hand, Rhinebeck's water system is huge and— like the towns of Hyde Park, Port Ewen, and the City of Poughkeepsie—it gets its water from the Hudson River.

According to Chief Operator Tom Wallbank, Rhinebeck's water undergoes at least six additional processes after being first screened for debris such as leaves and fish. Chemicals such as chlorine are added. Rhinebeck's huge system is tested daily. Most communities generally test water for coliform bacteria once or twice a month and do frequent testing over a period of days for other contaminants such as copper, lead, and arsenic. If any tests fail, which is rare, the waters are treated and retested. None of the officials I spoke to were able to recall any bacterial contamination under their jurisdictions.

If instead of municipal water you rely primarily on a private well for your drinking water, the well's depth and the condition of its housing and other components are justifiable concerns, since outside contaminants could compromise the water's safety. To protect the quality of your well water, avoid using pesticides, fertilizers and other lawn and garden chemicals in excess, since they can leach into the water. The FDA recommends testing well water annually for nitrates and coliform bacteria (e.g., e-coli). Information and supplies can be obtained from watercheck.biz, the website of local resident Leslie Gabriel, who calls himself "Water Man," or nsf.org/consumer/newsroom/pdf/fact_water_well.pdf on the NSF website.

To filter or not to filter. Home water filtration systems can improve the taste or appearance of tap water. People who are uncertain about the quality of their municipal water supply may use filtration systems to filter out impurities. Most filters use charcoal derived from coconut husk. The charcoal absorbs impurities as the water passes through it, thereby filtering out Cryptosporidium and Giardia, the most deadly of possible contaminants. Minerals that are essential to health can still permeate a charcoal filter.

Purification systems can either be attached to the water faucet or consist of a pitcher with a carbon filter in it over which tap water is poured. The best-known systems are made by PUR and Brita. Some refrigerators are also equipped with built-in filters that make filtered water and ice. Purifying water with these products typically costs less than buying bottled water.

Making Tap Water Portable
Even if you've decided to trust your tap water, a decision still remains. When you take your tap water with you, do you reuse old bottles or buy a steel thermos bottle or a plastic reusable one? Reusing single-use plastic bottles has been a subject of controversy that has been addressed in detail on the Snopes Urban Legends website. Concern about reusable water bottles made of plastic #7 (Lexan, Nalgene and other clear polycarbonate water bottles) focuses on the possibility that they might possibly leach bisphenol A (BPA), a potential carcinogen, into the bottle's contents. The scare is based on a single small study, but to address this fear some plastic bottle manufacturers are now making BPA-free plastic bottles. Stainless steel thermoses or other steel bottles are preferred by some people.

The true safety concern about reusing plastic bottles should be that bacteria and fungi can grow in damp or partially-full bottles after contact with your hands or mouth once a bottle has been opened. Therefore a good safety precaution is to thoroughly wash and dry both single-use and special reusable water bottles between uses. Reusable water bottles generally have wider mouths, making them easier to clean.

What's Behind the Label?

"Distilled" — The process of distillation removes minerals from the water by turning the water temporarily into a vapor.

"Natural" — The label "natural" can only be used for bottled water derived from springs or wells that have not been treated to alter the water's natural chemical composition.

"Purified" — this water either comes from a municipal system or is groundwater. Pepsi's Aquafina, for example, is not from a mountain spring as its label suggests, but is bottled at Pepsi plants using processed municipal water. Purified water is processed, and then chlorine and other unsuitable particles are removed to make it better for drinking.

"Artesian Well Water" — An artesian well taps into a confined aquifer through layers of porous rock, sand and earth. The aquifer is under pressure from the surrounding upper layers of rock or clay and the water rises from this underground water-containing layer of rock under its own pressure. The EPA considers water from artesian aquifers to be generally purer than most other waters because the rock and clay layers impede movement of contamination, but they can't guarantee that artesian water is cleaner than ground water from an unconfined aquifer.

"Mineral water" — this water must have constant levels and relative proportions of minerals and trace elements as it emerges from its source. These elements typically include iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, silica, chromium, lithium, and copper. No minerals may be added to bottled mineral water.

"Spring water" — This water comes from an underground formation through which it flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Water must be collected only at the spring itself or through a borehole that taps into the underground spring. Spring water collected using a pump must be from the same underground layer as the spring and must have the same physical properties, composition, and quality before treatment as the water that flows naturally to the surface.

"Sparkling water" — This water contains carbon dioxide as it emerges from its source, which gives it the "fizz." The water is treated before bottling and whatever carbon dioxide is lost during treatment may be replaced with the same amount afterwards. (Soda water, seltzer water and tonic water are not considered bottled waters and are regulated separately.)

"Drinking water" or "flavored water" — Drinking water is another name for bottled water sold for human consumption in sanitary containers but without sweeteners or chemicals. Drinking water may have flavors, extracts or essences that comprise less than one-percent-by weight of the final product, but must be calorie and sugar-free. "Flavored" water may have small amounts of flavor and/or sweetener and need not be totally free of calories.

Other Links

Bottled or Tap?

TurnToTap.com

For a breakdown of Red Hook, Rhinebeck, or Pine Plains waters

Red Hook Annual Water Quality Report for 2008 [PDF]

Pine Plains 2007 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report [PDF]

Rhinebeck 2007 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report [PDF]

For "Water Man" Leslie Gabriel

WaterCheck.biz

About Home Well Safety

How to Keep Your Drinking Water Safe — Private Well Basics

On reusing plastic bottles

Snopes.com: Reuse of Plastic Bottles

Can I Reuse My Bottled Water Bottle?