| Is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at | | | | pathogens, have a strictly protected source, test for |
| stores? This is a question that many people think | | | | certain viruses, have an operator that is trained and |
| about and want to know the answer to. The fact | | | | certified, test and meet standards for Asbestos, use |
| that bottled costs so much more than tap could be | | | | certified labs for testing, report violations to the |
| one of the motivations behind this question. There | | | | state or let consumers know about contaminants. |
| are of course a number of things that we should look | | | | Tap in big cities has rules that must be followed that |
| at when dealing with this question. | | | | the bottled does not. Tap for cities with more than |
| Bottled is thought to be much cleaner than tap. | | | | 100000 people must be disinfected, have confirmed |
| There are few reasons for this. These reasons would | | | | E. Coli banned, have a filter that removes pathogens |
| include the marketing strategy used by the | | | | or have a secure source, must test for viruses, must |
| companies that sell bottled. The picture on the bottle | | | | have a certified operator, must meet standards for |
| portrays lovely clean streams and pristine mountains | | | | Asbestos, must use certified labs, must report |
| giving the idea that this is where the liquid comes | | | | violations to the state and let consumers know about |
| from. | | | | contamination. |
| Regulations on what happens to water before it | | | | There are other things that differ in the rules for tap |
| reaches a house are strictly controlled. This means | | | | and bottled. The testing for bacteria in bottled is |
| that tap has to go through a series of things to | | | | carried out once per week while tap is test hundreds |
| eliminate various sediments and other contaminants. | | | | of times per month. The testing for synthetic organic |
| Bottled does not have the same kind of regulation. | | | | chemicals is done once a year for bottled and once |
| This means that it is up to the company as to what | | | | per quarter for tap. Heavy metals can appear in both |
| treatment the liquid undergoes. | | | | bottled and tap with bottled being allowed 5ppm lead |
| There are some rules that bottled does have to | | | | and tap 15ppm lead. |
| abide by. However there are some things that tap | | | | Is tap water cleaner than bottled water sold at |
| need to do that bottled does not. Bottled does not | | | | stores? The answer is actually dependent on the |
| need disinfection, a confirmed E. Coli and Fecal | | | | type of bottled brand you buy. Some is cleaner than |
| Coliform banned, have a filter that removes | | | | tap while others are not. |