On Tap: Bottled Water Drains Resources

Let’s face it, in the belly of the recession, with about 14 million of us uemployed, concerns about things like recycling tend to move to the back burner. In a state of economic triage, how can we afford to think about “saving the trees?”

But it’s a false choice, because reducing unnecessary consumption and recycling save both resources and money, while being easier on the planet.

Take bottled water. In the U.S., where we are the top consumers of bottled water in the world, a bottle of water costs somewhere between $0.50 and $2.00. Tap water, depending on where you live, can cost something like $2.00 - $2.50 per CCF, where a CCF (100 cubic feet of water) is equal to 748 gallons. Now that’s thirst quenching.

Is bottled water more highly regulated for safety? No. The FDA keeps an eye on bottled water; the EPA oversees water from the tap. But under the EPA, water utilities must provide consumer confidence reports annually on water quality; whereas the FDA does not require that kind of reporting from bottled water manufacturers.

Also, bottled water is expensive to process, package, transport, and distribute. A study by the Pacific Institute found that in 2006, “producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation.” Also, it takes water to make water. According to this same study, it took 3 liters of water for every 1 bottled liter produced. And then there’s landfill. Recycling reduces waste and cost - but buying less bottled water in the first place is the real resource-saver.

The bottom line? Studies find that bottled water is often no healthier than water you get from the tap, but it costs 10,000 times more. At the same time, the production and consumption of bottled water increases use of fossil fuels, and raises greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

No doubt: It’s hot out. We all need a long, cold drink. But why not serve it up at cost that we can really afford - and a price we want to pay?

Resources and to Learn More:

Pacific Institute Factsheet on Bottled Water

Story of Stuff Video: Bottled Water

Discovery Channel: Bottled Water Carries Hidden Costs

San Francisco Department of Public Health - Bottled Water vs. Tap: Making the Healthy Choice

Special thanks to photographer Maheash Nelanka for sharing an image of water in Creative Commons!