About Your Bottled Water

Where does your water come from?

A public water system? A private well? A plastic bottle?
No matter what the source of your water, you need to know the facts about what you drink. At Aerus, we've separated 'fact' from 'fiction' to help educate you about the importance of choosing clean, safe drinking water for you, your family and the environment.

Is Bottled Really Better?

Bottled drinking water comes from a variety of sources, including glacial water, spring water, well water, purified water and even public water systems (tap water). Classified as a "food", bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where the regulations are not as strict as those of the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates public water supply. Many households choose to consume bottled water over tap water, believing that they are drinking "safer" water. However, according to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, bottled water may be not be any safer or purer than tap water. According to the four-year NRDC study:

  • After testing over 1,000 bottles of water, 22% were contaminated at levels violating strict enforceable state limits
  • 40% of bottled water started out as the same tap water that is in your home
  • 60-70% of bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from the FDA's contamination limits and specific bottled water treatment standards because it is bottled and sold in the same state
  • Big city tap water suppliers must complete water quality testing for coliform bacteria over 100 times per month (several times per day), while bottled water suppliers are only required to test for coliform bacteria once per week
  • Additional contamination can occur in bottled water, with the possibility of phthalate (a toxic chemical) leaching from the plastic container into the water

There are also environmental effects of bottled water to consider. Research conducted by organizations such as the Container Recycling Institute and the Earth Policy Institute has revealed:

  • 86% of plastic water bottles used in the U.S. wind up as trash or in a landfill
  • 17 million barrels of oil are expended to manufacture bottled water in the U.S. each year
  • Priced at about $10 per gallon, bottled water costs more than gasoline
  • Buried water bottles can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade
  • Over 90% of the cost of bottled water comes from manufacturing the bottle, lid and label