Many people claim they drink bottled water because it tastes better than drinking from the tap at home. They even claim bottled water is safer to consume. Is this TRULY the case or simply a “follow the herd” thought?
Let’s look at SAFETY first…
In the United States, bottled water is governed by the Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA.
- bottled water companies are NOT required to disclose the source of water, treatment procedures or any contamination tests done
- not many regulations on what can be present in the water
- bottled water plants only inspected once every FEW years
- plastic bottles they come in must NOT be left in the sun or extreme heat and shouldn’t be consumed past expiration date
Tap water is governed by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.
- far more strict with regulations
- have very specific limits for what contaminants can remain in tap water
- tested EVERY YEAR
***Keep in mind, there are even brands of bottled water that are actually just filtered tap water – like Aquafina and Dasani.
Now let’s take a look at TASTE…
The best way to conclude something so heavily swayed by opinion is to conduct a blind taste test. This means that people in the test have NO idea what they are drinking and must pick what they think tastes the best. In all of the professional blind tests conducted so far, there is a clear winner…
People Choose The Taste of TAP WATER!
Yep – it’s true. In a blind taste test conducted by Good Morning America, 45% of the participants chose tap water from New York City over things like Evian, Poland Spring and O2 Aqua. In a test conducted by Boston University, only 1/3 of participants could actually tell the difference between tap water and bottled water. 1/3 actually thought the tap water was bottled water and the rest couldn’t tell a difference at all.
The reality is that bottled water and tap water don’t taste much different from one another so, yes, it is a MYTH that bottled water tastes better.
You may not agree – you may feel that your tap water is disgusting and tastes like metal or chlorine. If this is the case, it’s because your tap water needs to be filtered. You can either chill all water in the fridge or simply use a water purifier. You can even install an under-sink home filtration system, like the PEL75, that makes sure all water coming from that tap is purified. If you’re worried about all of the water coming into your home, you can invest in a whole-home filtration system so water you use in different rooms for a wide variety of tasks is fresh and clean.
In the end, most folks can’t tell a difference in taste or end up choosing filtered tap water over bottled water.
Contact our specialists today at 312.889.8888 to find out more about our line of ProEcoLife Water Filter Products!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bottled water more strictly regulated than tap water?
No. Tap water is governed by the EPA, which has stricter regulations, specific contaminant limits and yearly testing. Bottled water is overseen by the FDA, and companies are not required to disclose sources, treatment or contamination tests.
Does bottled water really taste better than tap water?
Blind taste tests suggest not. In a Good Morning America test, 45% of participants chose New York City tap water over brands like Evian, and in a Boston University test only one third could tell the difference.
What if my tap water tastes like metal or chlorine?
That means your tap water needs to be filtered. You can chill the water, use a water purifier or install an under-sink filtration system like the PEL75, or choose a whole-home system for all rooms.
