IS YOUR BOTTLED WATER BETTER?

By Andy Summa

 Bottled water may be no better than tap water, according to a recent study.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is urging consumers to forego bottled water following the release of its study May 3. The WWF bases its claims on a 26 page study by Catherine Ferrier of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. WWF commissioned the study, called, "Bottled Water: Understanding a social phenomenon."

More than half of Americans regularly drink bottled water. The world bottled water market represents annual sales of $22 billion, according to the Environment News Service.

Concerns over municipal water safety combined with clever marketing helps fuel the growth of the bottled water industry, says the study.

But the only difference between some bottled waters and tap water is that one is distributed in bottles, the other through pipes, ENS said. There are more standards regulating tap water in Europe and the U.S. than those applied to the bottled water industry.

“Bottled water should not be considered a sustainable alternative to tap water, as it is not exempt from periodical contamination,” concludes the report. “In addition, tap water is more energy efficient as it is provided through underground pipes, compared to fuel and energy needed for filling bottles and transporting them around the world.

“Tap water is and should remain a public service meant to deliver good quality drinking water.”