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TitleTake back the tap : why choosing tap water over bottled water is better for your health, your pocketbook, and the environment
Publication TypeMiscellaneous
Year of Publication2007
AuthorsFood and Water Watch -Washington, DC, US
Paginationiv, 14 p. : boxes, ill.
Date Published2007-06-01
PublisherFood and Water Watch
Place PublishedWashington, DC, USA
Keywordsbottled water, drinking water, environmental impact, health aspects, sdihyg, usa, water quality
Abstract

Filtering water at home is cheaper and safer than depending on bottled water. This report intends to educate consumers about the various problems with bottled water and why they should switch to tap water. It also illustrates the importance of supporting local water utilities through increased federal funding. Consumers are wasting hundreds and thousands of dollars on bottled water because they think it is healthier or safer than its counterpart from the tap. It is not: tap water is safe and highly regulated and monitored. In addition to being no purer than tap water and a big waste of money, the production and distribution of bottled water causes a host of equity and environmental problems.

The big beverage companies often take water from municipal or underground sources that local people depend on for drinking water. Producing the plastic bottles uses energy and emits toxic chemicals. Transporting the bottled water across hundreds or thousands of miles spews carbon dioxide into the air, complicating the efforts to combat global climate change. And in the end, empty bottles are piling up in landfills. Most of the primary water pipes and sewer liners in the USA were built during the late 1800s, the 1920s and the years immediately following World War II. Along with consumers switching from bottled to tap water, the federal government must create a clean water trust fund to generate the billions of dollars necessary to maintain and improve drinking water and sewage systems.

NotesIncludes references
Custom 1240

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