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Substances That Could Be in Water Tap vs. Bottled
<br /> To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. hanks in part to -,
<br /> EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount aggressive marketing, /,'
<br /> of certain contaminants in water provided by public the bottled water industry !
<br /> water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration has successfully convinced
<br /> regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled us all that water purchased
<br /> water that must provide the same protection for in bottles is a healthier
<br /> public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, alternative to tap water. However, i
<br /> may reasonably be expected to contain at least small according to a four-year study
<br /> amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these conducted by the Natural Resources
<br /> contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the Defense Council, bottled water is not
<br /> water poses a health risk. necessarily cleaner or safer than most
<br /> The sources of drinking water (both tap water and tap water. In fact, about 25 percent of
<br /> bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, bottled water is actually just bottled
<br /> reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the tap water (40 percent, according to
<br /> surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves government estimates).
<br /> naturally occurring minerals, in some cases, radioactive The Food and Drug Administration is responsible
<br /> material, and substances resulting from the presence of for regulating bottled water, but these rules allow
<br /> animals or from human activity.Substances that may be for less rigorous testing and purity standards than
<br /> present in source water include: those required by the U.S. EPA for community
<br /> Microbial Contaminants,such as viruses and bacteria, tap water. For instance, the high mineral content
<br /> which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic of some bottled waters makes them unsuitable for
<br /> systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife; babies and young children. Furthermore, the FDA
<br /> completely exempts bottled water that's packaged
<br /> Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, and sold within the same state, which accounts for
<br /> which can be naturally occurring or may result from about 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the
<br /> urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic United States.
<br /> wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, People spend 10,000 times more per gallon for
<br /> or farming; bottled water than they typically do for tap water.
<br /> Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a If you get your recommended eight glasses a day
<br /> variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400
<br /> runoff, and residential uses; annually. The same amount of tap water would cost
<br /> about 49 cents. Even if you installed a filter device
<br /> Organic Chemical Contaminants,including synthetic
<br /> and volatile organic chemicals,which are by-products of on your tap, your annual expenditure would be far
<br /> industrial processes and petroleum production and may less than what you'd pay for bottled water.
<br /> also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, For a detailed discussion on the NRDC study
<br /> and septic systems; results, check out their Web site at https://goo.gl/
<br /> Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally Jxb6xG.
<br /> occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production
<br /> and mining activities.
<br /> For more information about contaminants and potential
<br /> health effects, call the U.S. EPA's Safe Drinking Water
<br /> Hotline at (800) 426-4791. QUESTIONS?
<br /> For more information about this report, or for
<br /> any questions relating to your drinking water,
<br /> please call the Elk River Municipal Utilities Water
<br /> Superintendent,at(763) 441-2020.
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