You might have become confused while being bombarded with advertisements from bottled water manufacturers, which claim that their water is much cleaner and safer than ordinary tap water. You could be wondering as to who would win in a wet bout between bottled water vs. tap water.
Tap water that is totally safe for drinking has been supplied since decades and the number of people falling sick after drinking tap water has been negligible when compared to the number of people that actually drink tap water on a daily basis. Tap water is purified by local authorities and in some cases chemicals such as fluoride is also added to that water since it effectively prevents tooth decay. Other municipalities use chlorine or ozone treatment to disinfect the water. This ensures that people living in a certain geographical area get water infused with the right chemicals and minerals that can make them healthier.
Bottled water is sold in almost all retail stores and you are certain to find different manufacturers offering their bottled products in attractive-looking bottles. Since regulations regarding bottled water are not very clear, you could simply end up drinking tap water that is re-filtered and packed in an eye-catching bottle. In essence, you will just end up paying a lot of money for something that you could get at home for free. Bottled water is produced after water that could be from a spring or well or even from a tap is passed through various purification methods, one after the other. The water passes through activated carbon filters and is then pushed through a membrane in the reverse osmosis or REO process, attacked with ultraviolet or UVA rays and then finally disinfected with the ozone process.
However, the problem is not in the bottled water itself but more in the small bottles and high prices of that water. Bottles use up a lot of precious oil to manufacture, use up a lot of fuel to transport, and are an environmental hazard when it comes to disposing those empty bottles. The price of each bottle too is extremely high and most manufacturers simply try to induce fear into the minds of consumers that they would only remain safe if they consumed bottled water. On the other hand, larger bottles of 3 to 5 gallons are better since the bottles are reused again and again.
If you still have doubts about the efficacy of tap water then you can certainly go in for a full-sized or counter-top sized water dispenser that utilizes a 5 or 3 gallon water bottle. This will enable you to get hot or cold water at the press of a button. However, make sure that the 3 or 5 gallon water bottle that you use contains pure drinking water that is filtered using the best technology. You can also buy a regular dispenser-cum-purifier and then store the water in your fridge before drinking it or adding tasty flavors to it. Brands such as vitapur offer dispensers in different sizes and these could clear all your water-related doubts.
While tap water and most brands of bottled water offer clean and pure drinking water that is devoid of any harmful contaminants, it is you and the environment that will pay a high price when you drink bottled water from small disposable bottles. Thus, in the battle between bottled water vs. tap water, it is tap water that provides a cheaper and environmentally friendly option as compared to bottled water.