Tap Water Vs. Bottled Water

Many people in the United States opt for bottled water instead of tap water. They like to think bottled water is safer for your health because it is in a bottle and not directly from the faucet. They never take the time to realize how much money and plastic they are wasting in a year. Over fifty billion plastic water bottles are bought every year by Americans, and a lot of money is spent. Tap water is natural; therefore, it does not cost anybody a cent to use, so it should be referred to more often instead of bottled water. Although bottled water has its health benefits, tap water has health benefits that are more natural for the human body and the environment.
Tap water contains natural elements while bottled water contains elements and other

additives because they are processed in through purification. Some of the natural elements include chlorine and fluorine, as said by Source A. Chlorine and fluorine have their health benefits in portions, even though people think they are carcinogens and perilous for their health. Chlorine is abundantly found in the earth's crust and the ocean water. The element can help with the detoxification of certain bacterias in drinking water; these bacterias include cholera and salmonella which are devastating infections. While chlorine disinfects the water, fluorine is an element that increases the prevention of caries in the teeth. Of course, the amount of fluorine is regulated, or else it can cause fluorosis, but fluorine also helps heal early signs of tooth decay. The natural elements in tap water benefit different parts of the body while also being provided at a lower price.
Tap water and bottled water are the same things. Tap water is natural water from the sky, such as that water after it rains, or after any natural disasters, that is filtered through the pipes of the community. Bottled water, though, “[uses] public water sources for their products… [then] the water enters the bottled water plant [and] several processes are employed to ensure that it meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration… standard” (Source B). The FDA, or the Food and Drug Administration, does not require bottled water to be safer than tap water, it is just the contrary. While tap water gets tested for certain pathogens, bottled water does not, this means the bottled water could contain these pathogens and the consumer would never know. Also, bottled water is tap water in a bottle, for the most part, it just gets purified to make it seem like it is better than the original thing. Bottled water is a mechanism so companies can get money from those people who think it is better than tap water.
Bottled water is said to be purified on the label, but little do the consumers know, the water contains a higher level of chemicals. In an experiment of bottled water, “about 22 percent of the brands tested contained chemicals at levels above state health limits in at least one sample” (Source C). The majority of people believe tap water contains more contaminants than bottled water because it comes from the faucet. However, they do not take the time to realize bottled water also contains chemicals from the plastic itself. Over time, these chemicals can become fatal and can damage the consumer’s health. Overall, instead of wasting money on bottled water, people should start opting for tap water.
Not only is tap water cheaper and safer for the environment, but, it can also improve parts of the consumer’s health, such as the health of their teeth and their overall immune system. Bottled water is not as safe as it is said to be because the federal government does not have strict regulations on it. Tap water, however, is regulated in the big cities to make sure it is healthy for consumption of their citizens.