Stricter labeling urged for bottled water

Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, congressional investigators and nonprofit researchers say in new reports.

Both the Government Accountability Office and the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, recommend in reports released

Wednesday that bottled water be labeled with the same level of information municipal water providers must disclose.

The researchers urged Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water because there isn't enough information about bottled water. The working group recommends purifying tap water with a commercial filter, however.

Both reports were released at a congressional subcommittee Wednesday morning.

Much more at link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/us_bottled_water_vs_tap

Thanks DK, this really is important to me: for some time now I have been a water only drinker (I did it in hopes of bettering my health and I can honestly say that my complexion is loving it, and I feel so much better)... the bottled water issue can get frustrating, especially when traveling. I wish it was better regulated...

How sad it is, I thought drinking bottled water was better for my family.
I buy atleast 4 cases a week in the summer, we run in,get water and leave.
Now so many reports on it. I have a brita pitcher and a PUR water faucet filter.
Will we learn this is bad also?

Welcome to Websleuths! Miss Amanduh!:blowkiss:




I am in AZ, for the summer and can't get cold water from the tap
without leaving it run for a long time.....so I started to give my borrowed
cat, cold bottled water, and she became sick. I cut the bottled water
out and she recovered right away.

I have to buy the bottled water to take with me when I go out
in this horrible heat, but have a hard time remembering to take it
with me when I go out. I would much rather drink diet pop.

I hate the heat, the water, the sun, the sand ..all of it!

I'm sorry but I do disagree with the sentiments that bottled water is not safe, or is only overpriced municipal water. We buy Sparkletts and they put their test results online... it is far more pure than the municipal water (at least our city water) because it is run through multiple filtering systems. Our tap water tastes NASTY, esp. in the summertime, and the dissolved salts accumulate around the flower pots and the end of the hose, even on the top of the soil of potted plants. Our area is known for kidney stones because of the stuff in our water. The Sparkletts is much better....

Besides, it tastes better. Since it tastes better, and we can drink it cold out of the rented cooler, my family drinks it instead of sodas. I'd rather have the overpriced bottled water than the overpriced, high fructose corn syrup laden sodas.

Maybe some bottled water needs more regulation, although the FDA does regulate bottled water... but it is still a better choice than most of the drinks out there.

There is a large spring in our area which is bottled under many names. Is it our tap water? Yes, BUT our tap water is from the spring. I think it's hilarious that people pay big bucks for the bottled water that I bathe and wash my clothes in. The water is quite good and it would be absolutely stupid for the town to drill wells when the spring can handle the necessary supply for the water bottling industry and us.
(You can actually take jugs down to the spring and collect it coming straight out of the ground. Many people do that here for their drinking water, rather than drinking it after it's been treated.)

Delaney - Thank you for the warm welcome. I actually had a websleuths account for many years, but my last account was deleted due to password problems? LOL. I couldn't help but notice that you were from Lockport. We are practically neighbors! I live in Joliet.

Joanie - That is why I said most. A lot of the 'bigger' (Hinkley or Evian) companies use water from springs, but you would be suprised to see that there are a LOT that are municipal water sources. If you ever get a chance, look when you are at the store. It should say Source: and list the source. Water is ALWAYS a better choice over soda. It is just wrong for a lot of these companies to be selling 'purified' water, when it is nothing more that bottled tap water.

passionflower said:

How sad it is, I thought drinking bottled water was better for my family.
I buy atleast 4 cases a week in the summer, we run in,get water and leave.
Now so many reports on it. I have a brita pitcher and a PUR water faucet filter.
Will we learn this is bad also?

Click to expand...

You can put a filter system under you sink. They have simple ones where it has it's own little outlet and knob. We were looking at them this weekend. Thinking it would save us money in the long run over bottled watter. If your buying that much, you'll save.

We use to get our filtered water from our refrig. But a filter system and connected to the water supply there. That way even our ice was filtered. Nice. People couldn't believe it that our kids loved water.

Since we need to take bottled water with us when we go out, I"m looking for drink thingies with a wide mouth. So I can wash them in the dishwasher. Yet with a nice seal, that I don't worry about them in the boat cooler, etc.

Go to Lowe's or homedepot type store and check them out. Some are easy to install. I seen some at $100 this weekend.

delaney said:

Welcome to Websleuths! Miss Amanduh!:blowkiss:




I am in AZ, for the summer and can't get cold water from the tap
without leaving it run for a long time.....so I started to give my borrowed
cat, cold bottled water, and she became sick. I cut the bottled water
out and she recovered right away.

I have to buy the bottled water to take with me when I go out
in this horrible heat, but have a hard time remembering to take it
with me when I go out. I would much rather drink diet pop.

I hate the heat, the water, the sun, the sand ..all of it!

Click to expand...

Is your water lines in the attic? I'm in Florida and when we had to have our house replumbed (remove the cooper pipes) they put in the plastic stuff and ran them in the ceilings.

Now we have Hot water on demand. And it takes forever to get cold water. You can almost burn your hands with the cold water on really hot days.

This year we are covering our pipes with that foam stuff. It's costing about $1 for 6 feet. I bought 1 section this weekend to see if "we" could do it our selves. LOL! As it is, we are only doing the cold line.

I don't know the set up there, but it might work for you guys as well.

Miss Amanduh, nice to know we are neighbors. I'm hoping to be back north at the end of Sept. and depending on where they hold the Peterson trial, I will attend!

Spangle, I live in a new house and have no clue were the water lines are..
but thanks for the info..I'll ask my son when I see him Sunday. I used to think the worst part of living down here was missing my 21 year old cat and sometimes, my still working husband... but thats not true for me anymore..its the heat.

I still think bottled water is a huge waste of money, and our landfills will soon be full of useless discarded bottles. I know my area doesn't have recylce
pick-up yet.