Break the Myth
Every year, American consumers waste billions of dollars on billions of gallons of bottled water. Are you one of them? Why the love affair with bottled water? Because we’ve all been told it’s more convenient and cleaner than the water that flows through the faucets in our homes, schools and businesses. But that’s all a myth. The plain truth is that tap water is clean, safe, tested more and just as convenient. It’s also less expensive – a lot less expensive!
Protect your pocketbook
Let’s say you drink the recommended 64 ounces of water a day, all from bottles. That’s 24 half-liter bottles every six days. Even at bargain prices, that comes to more than $400 a year. If you choose a stylish name brand – that figure can soar to thousands of dollars a year. But the water from your own tap? It costs just a fraction of a penny per day. Based on averages from the American Water Works Association a day’s worth of water costs only 0.001 cents. So if you drink your 64 ounces daily, you spend just 51 cents – per year!
Protect your health and the planet
If the dollar savings alone won’t get your attention, take a look at the potential harm all those billions of bottles bring to your family and to the planet. Producing the bottles uses up vital energy and emits toxic chemicals. Production to meet the demand for bottled water in the U.S. alone requires the equivalent of nearly 17.6 million barrels of oil. That would keep more than a million vehicles moving on American roads every year. Despite the hype, each year more than 86% of the plastic water bottles in the United States end up in landfills – not in the nation’s recycling centers.
So what about your water?
When it comes to quality control, tap water beats out its bottled counterpart in just about every way possible. That’s because your tap water undergoes more frequent health and quality testing than bottled water. Our District’s water sources are tested every day. Our water consistently meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. Bottled water plants only require tests once a week.
Remember these facts!
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Tap water is safer than bottled water.
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Tap water is thousands of times less expensive than bottled water.
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Unlike tap water, bottled water creates mountains of waste and contributes to an array of other environmental problems.
And the Taste
Public water systems use chlorine to treat drinking water so it is safe from harmful bacteria. Although the amount of chlorine in a glass of water is very small—only 1 part per million— some people are sensitive to the taste and smell of chlorine in their drinking water. Here are tips on how to minimize the taste:
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Install a carbon filter on your home faucet
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Refrigerate tap water for a few hours before drinking to allow chlorine to dissipate
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Filling your water cooler jug from the tap will also allow time for chlorine to dissipate and for water to chill
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Add lemon, lime or small amount of fruit juice to your glass or pitcher