Why bottled water is the biggest swindle of our century?

There is nothing better than a sip of pure icy water on a hot summer day. Some people get this water for free, others buy it every day. Is it worth the bottled water of the money that you spend on it, or is it nothing more than a scam?

Is the quality of bottled and tap water

According to research conducted in America, the quality of tap water and in a bottle is almost identical, and it has the same effect on human health. In some cases, tap water sources can even be safer, as they tend to be better cleaned.

Of course, there are exceptions. For example, people who use private wells do not have the opportunity to conduct the same rigorous tests that they use for open sources in cities. In addition, some sources continue to be used, even when they are recognized as dangerous.

Nevertheless, there are many reasons to stop buying bottled water. Read on to find out facts about drinking water that you have not heard yet.

Who first came up with the idea of selling bottled water

The first recorded case of bottled water sales occurred in Boston in 1760, when a company called Jackson's SPA began bottling water and selling it as a mineral. Use it offered for therapeutic purposes. Soon the companies in Saratoga Springs and Albany also began to pack and sell water.

The popularity of bottled water

The amount of bottled water that people around the world drink is 10% of its total consumption. Bottled water is best sold in America. Modern Americans drink bottled water more often than milk or beer.

Last year in America, the amount of water sold in bottles for the first time exceeded the amount of soda. Thus, bottled water effectively reorganized the beverage market. This was stated by Michael C. Bellas - Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Beverage Marketing.

Profitable business

Bottled water is not cheap. The person who prefers bottled water spends 300 times more for it than the one who chooses water from the tap. But analysts say that this figure may be even higher.

Soda companies also realize how profitable is the sale of bottled water. For example, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have begun investing in this type of product. Moreover, Pepsi recently released a 30-second video that advertises new premium-quality bottled water called LIFEWTR.

How to deceive buyers

But research shows that for most Americans, the water in the bottle is not better than the one that flows from the tap. In fact, the recent report refers to the fact that almost half of all bottled water is actually bottled from the tap. In 2007, Pepsi (Aquafina) and Nestle (Pure Life) had to change their labels to more accurately reflect the purity of their water.

Who is responsible for water quality

Tap water, as a rule, is checked for quality and pollution more often than bottled water. The Agency for Environmental Protection is responsible for conducting these tests in America.

Nevertheless, the quality of tap water can vary significantly depending on where you live.

For example, members of each of the 15 million American families who mostly live in rural areas and recruit water from private wells can not know how clean it is, because the Environmental Protection Agency does not monitor its quality. In such cases, the responsibility for the safety of water rests with the landlord, the official website of the Agency says. This means that drinking water, including from wells, can be contaminated.

Hazardous impurities

Studies show that water from many private wells is unsafe for drinking. The report for 2011 refers to 13% of private wells studied by geologists in America. It turned out that they all contain at least one element (for example, arsenic or uranium) whose concentration exceeds the permissible standards.

The recent surge in the popularity of bottled water may be associated with increased concerns about the purity of tap water. Polls show that 63% of Americans are concerned about the issue of drinking water pollution. This is the highest percentage since 2001.

Can we distinguish between the taste of bottled water and tap water?

When it comes to water taste, most of us probably will not be able to tell the difference. Not long ago, researchers from the University of Boston conducted an experiment, the participants of which were to distinguish water from different sources to taste with closed eyes. It turned out that only a third of all students who participated in the experiment were able to cope with this task.

What you need to make a plastic bottle

Making bottled water is an extensive process, for which many resources are used. The study, the results of which appeared in the journal "Environmental notes of researchers," showed that the production of bottled water, which was drunk in America in 2007, had to spend about 32-54 million barrels of oil.

In addition, to produce a plastic bottle, more water is required than to fill it. A recent study by the International Bottled Water Association showed that North American companies use 1.39 liters of water to produce a 1 liter plastic bottle.

Plastic Waste and Pollution

You may think that bottles that remain after water, at least once again recycle. But in fact, only every sixth bottle, which Americans use, falls into the trash can and, accordingly, can be recycled. The rest are thrown out anywhere, and they pollute the environment, sooner or later getting into the world ocean. Since plastic bottles decompose for over a hundred years, nature does not have time to get rid of them, as we throw out a new portion of such rubbish every day.

So next time think twice, when you decide to buy another bottle of drinking water: maybe it's not worth it.