In this protracted battle between tap water versus bottled water, proponents from both sides have been throwing muddy water against each other. If the question, is tap water cleaner then bottled water sold at stores bothering you then you need to read on to find the answer to your doubts.
Tap water has been supplied to millions of households since many years now. However, once people started traveling at an increased rate, started playing more outdoor games and hiking far away into the mountains and woods, there was a need created for safe drinking water that could be carried with them. It is to fill this need that bottled water entered the market. Some brands also brought in water from mountain springs that had an increased mineral content that was beneficial for the human body. However, once big brands started entering the market, their advertising campaign went many steps ahead and started propagating that bottled water was cleaner and safer than tap water, and that people should shift to drinking bottled water.
Tap water has to pass through several filtration stages and strict tests by local municipal authorities before it enters your house. The authorities might also add a mineral or chemical like fluoride in case there is a need for it by the local population. However, the regulations for marketing bottled water are quite vague and this feature has been exploited by many bottled water manufacturers. For example, certain manufacturers have shown photos of high mountains and springs on the labels of their bottles whereas the water in that bottle is only re-purified tap water. Tests conducted on several bottled water products have shown that while most of them are equally safe as tap water, some of them contain cancer-causing chemicals and other contaminants that could harm your body. Small bottles are already depleting crude oil supplies since it is required in the manufacture and transport of these bottles. Add to it the fact that bottled water costs thousands of times more than tap water and empty bottles are a pain to dispose, and the entire picture will become clearer.
If you do have lingering doubts over your tap water then instead of rushing to buy disposable bottles of bottled water that is sold in stores, simply buy a dispenser with an inbuilt filter. This will remove any contaminants that might have slipped through and provide you with safe and pure drinking water. Brands such as vitapur have various dispensers that could help provide you with clean drinking water. You can chill the water in your own fridge or buy a full-size model with an inbuilt cooler. This is a healthier alternative that also protects the environment instead of littering it with empty bottles. You can also add tasty flavors if you are bored with drinking plain water.
The fight between tap water vs. bottled water has raged on long enough. But if you love the environment and realize that some of the brands of bottled water available in stores simply use tap water while others offer water that is simply dangerous for health, it is certainly tap water that has many health benefits. Your question is tap water cleaner then bottled water sold at stores should have been answered by now and you can drink to good health with just a turn of your tap, while buying bottled water only when it is absolutely necessary.