Is bottled water really better?


Is Bottled Water Really Better?

Most companies today choose bottled water for either convenience or because they are concerned about the quality of their water. But is bottled water really convenient? And is bottled water really the best answer to purity concerns?

			Is Bottled Water Really Convenient? Strict delivery schedules combined with varied usage can leave you out of water, or with too much water* ... and bottles occupying expensive office space.*

			And changing a 40 pound bottle can be an “adventure”* as well as a potential workplace injury.*

			Is Bottled Water the Answer to Quality Concerns? Recently several articles have appeared that seem to challenge the premise that bottled water is the answer to concerns about water quality. Here are some excerpts from those articles: “Is bottled water better than tap? Not necessarily. The federal government requires bottled water to be as good as tap water but not any better—and bottled water is actually monitored less frequently. Bottlers, who are monitored by the Food and Drug Administration, can go more than three years between inspections.” Good Housekeeping Institute Report “The Natural Resources Defense Council tested 103 brands against the highest state and federal regulations and found 22% contained too many contaminants.” USA Today However, the biggest danger to the quality of bottled water occurs after the bottling process - because the neck of the bottled is submersed into the cooler reservoir. Since the only way to lift bottled water is by its neck, anything that is on the hands of the person lifting the bottle can be introduced into the reservoir of the cooler, drastically compromising the quality of the water being consumed . Unfortunately, bottled water is “handled” many times before it is consumed. At the site of the bottling plant the bottle is “handled” as it is filled and then several times more before it is loaded on the delivery truck. Then it is “handled” by the route driver bringing it into the office. Once it is in the office the bottle can be “handled” several more times before the bottle is placed into the water cooler. Again, the quality of the water being consumed in the office can be adversely affected by this “handling” of the bottle itself. According to the American Society for Microbiology, 25% of women and 42% of men do not wash their hands when leaving public restrooms. The inside of a water cooler is dark, warm and wet. This is the perfect environment for algae, bacteria, and virus to thrive. find out more...