What is in bottled water ?
Evocative names and labels depicting pastoral scenes have convinced us that the liquid is the purest drink around. "But no one should think that bottled water is better regulated, better protected or safer than tap," says Eric Goldstein, co-director of the urban program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting health and the environment.
Yes, some bottled water comes from sparkling springs and other pristine sources. But more than 25 percent of it comes from a municipal supply. The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousandfold increase in price. Most people are surprised to learn that they're drinking glorified tap water, but bottlers aren't required to list the source on the label.
This year Aquafina will begin stating on labels that its H2O comes from public water sources. And Nestlé Pure Life bottles will indicate whether the water comes from public, private or deep well sources. Dasani acknowledges on its website, but not on the label itself, that it draws from local water.
Labels can be misleading at best, deceptive at worst. In one notorious case, water coming from a well located near a hazardous waste site was sold to many bottlers. At least one of these companies labeled its product "spring water." In another case, H2O sold as "pure glacier water" came from a public water system in Alaska.
Lisa Ledwidge, 38, of Minneapolis, stopped drinking bottled water a couple of years ago, partly because she found out that many brands come from a municipal supply. "You're spending more per gallon than you would on gasoline for this thing that you can get out of the tap virtually for free," she says. "I wondered, Why am I spending this money while complaining about how much gas costs? But you don't ever hear anyone complain about the price of bottled water." Ledwidge says she now drinks only filtered tap water.
The controversy isn't simply about tap water and bottled water; most people drink both, knowing the importance of plenty of water. What they may not know is that some bottled water may not be as pure as they expect. In 1999 the NRDC tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of water. (This is the most recent major report on bottled water safety.) While noting that most bottled water is safe, the organization found that at least one sample of a third of the brands contained bacterial or chemical contaminants, including carcinogens, in levels exceeding state or industry standards. Since the report, no major regulatory changes have been made and bottlers haven't drastically altered their procedures, so the risk is likely still there.
The NRDC found that samples of two brands were contaminated with phthalates, in one case exceeding Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for tap water. These chemicals, used to make plastic softer, are found in cosmetics and fragrances, shower curtains, even baby toys, and are under increasing scrutiny. They're endocrine disrupters, which means they block or mimic hormones, affecting the body's normal functions. And the effects of exposure to the widespread chemicals may add up.
When exposed to high levels of phthalates during critical developmental periods, male fetuses can have malformed reproductive organs, including undescended testicles. Some experts link phthalates to low sperm counts.
Water bottles do not contain the chemical, which means the phthalates detected by the NRDC probably got into the water during processing at the bottling plant, or were present in the original water source (phthalates have been found in some tap water).
Bottled water is regulated for safety, but it's a tricky thing. The EPA regulates tap water, while the FDA oversees bottled. Yet FDA oversight doesn't apply to water packaged and sold within the same state, leaving some 60 to 70 percent of bottled water, including the contents of watercooler jugs, free of FDA regulation, according to the NRDC's report. In this case, testing depends on the states, but the NRDC found that they often don't have adequate resources to oversee bottled water, in some cases lacking even one full-time person for an entire state.
The FDA requires bottlers to regularly test for contaminants, but the agency considers bottled water a low-risk product, so plants may not be inspected every year. According to one FDA official, it's the manufacturer's responsibility to ensure that the product complies with laws and regulations. Some bottlers turn to NSF International, a trade group that conducts yearly unannounced inspections of plants, looking at the source of the water and the treatment process, and testing for contaminants. Other companies belong to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), which also performs annual unannounced tests to ensure the plant is up to FDA standards. IBWA has its own regulations, some of which are stricter than the FDA's.
Bottlers don't have to let consumers know if their product becomes contaminated, but sometimes they pull their products from stores. In fact, between 1990 and 2007, this happened about 100 times, says Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California. Among the reasons for recall: contamination with mold, benzene, coliform, microbes, even crickets.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your body needs water to function properly
Your body has a basic need for water. The majority of the cells in your body are comprised of water. Water makes up the largest part of your blood and lymph systems, carrying food and oxygen to cells, as well as removing wastes. It even acts as an internal shock absorber, cushioning your organs as you move. Water also cools your body when it’s hot - and keeps it warm when it gets cold. Water helps to control your blood pressure, and it keeps your eyes, nasal passages, mouth, and throat moist - as well as making your skin soft. Quite simply, your body needs and demands water to function and operate.
Water makes you feel healthy and comfortable
To keep your body functioning properly, and to maintain your health and feeling of well-being and comfort, your body requires a certain amount of water on a daily basis. By drinking the volume of water your body needs every day, you also significantly improve the ability of vitamins, nutrients, and even some medications to work effectively in your body. Drinking the right amount of water also reduces feelings of hunger and helps you to burn more calories on a daily basis. Health experts recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day. That means a 150-lb. person needs to consume approximately ten 8-oz. glasses of water every day.
The importance of the quality of the water you drinkWhile drinking enough water is essential to your general well-being, drinking water that’s free from impurities is also vital to achieving a better, healthier lifestyle. To ensure that the water you and your family are drinking is fresh, clear, clean, and pure you need the purification quality of the eSpring Water Purifier.
The eSpring Water Purifier: the first of its kind
Most common water filters, usually found in pitcher and faucet-mounted systems, feature a single pressed-carbon filter that merely treats water as it passes through it. The eSpring Water Purifier is the first in-home system designed with a patented dual-technology cartridge. This dual function cartridge combines ultraviolet light with a proprietary carbon-block filter to reduce more than 140 contaminants – from lead and mercury to VOCs, pesticides, and more. The eSpring Water Purifier was the first water purification system to be tested and certified by NSF International to meet NSF/ANSI Standards 42,53, and 55B .
For your countertop
The eSpring Water Purifier designed for countertop use is the size of a standard coffeemaker. It is a streamlined and unobtrusive system and is easy to install – with its own dedicated faucet. There are no special tools required. You’ll have clearer, cleaner water flowing at nearly a gallon per minute, almost instantly.
Below your countertop
The eSpring Water Purifier designed for below the counter can be neatly placed out of sight under your sink. This system provides fresh, clean water – again at approximately a gallon per minute. The below counter system features a sleek chrome-plated, lead-free faucet with a stainless-steel tip. The system installs easily and without tools.
For your refrigerator and icemakerYou can also easily provide your refrigerator’s water dispenser and icemaker with eSpring purified water. A simple, easily-to-install kit, with almost all the components you need to connect your eSpring to your refrigerator’s water supply means your family will always have fresh, clean water on hand.
Maintain the quality of your water
It’s easy and cost-efficient to maintain the quality and purity of your water by replacing your eSpring cartridge every year or every 1,320 gallons - whichever comes first. The eSpring monitor tells you when it’s time to replace the cartridge. Changing the cartridge is as simple as changing a light bulb.
