To solidify bottled water as being “good for you,” some major companies have
started introducing added nutrients and listing it on their labels. The
response from some nutritionists is that water is water – you don’t need
nutrients. But it can’t be denied that this is a great selling point. And now,
water such as Dasani (bottled by Coca Cola) comes in flavors such as lemon and
cherry, with more to come. In addition, bottled water can also come carbonated.
In fact, that is what really launched Perrier – it was naturally carbonated.
So, it came with “natural gas.” (Again, pun intended).
Water Testing
This perhaps is the crux of the problem – which water can pass not the taste
test but the safety test. Well, tap water testing is highly regulated. As
stated before, the federal government has its strict guidelines and each state
and local municipality in turn has additional testing procedures. A few years
ago the National Resources Defense Council did a comparative study and found
that only tap water is required to be disinfected. Also, testing for bacteria
is done once per week with bottled water and hundreds of times per month by
city water systems.
So, is tap water just as good? Well, McKesson Water (bottlers of Sparkletts,
Alhambra, Aqua Vend and Crystal)
says its comparisons show contaminants in tap water where there aren’t any in
their bottled water products. For the research-oriented consumer here is a tip
– check it out yourself. Most bottled water companies have literature on their
products. And the city water systems certainly do. In fact, from what your
author has seen they are very proud of their product and will be happy to send
highly detailed reports and brochures.
Where Does It Really Come From?
If all bottled water came from a hidden mountain stream, a rare spring in Southern
France, or some other exotic place that would be great. But it
doesn’t. Studies have shown that 30% or more of bottled water products are
actually bottled tap water. Just because a bottle has a picture of a mountain
stream on it doesn’t mean it came from there. To be sure some water products do
but it is more expensive. It has to be pumped from the stream or spring, and
then trucked to a plant where the water is treated and bottled. So some
companies prefer the easier route. For real bottle water aficionados it pays to
be sure.