Tap water or bottled? Your choice. You might like bottled water for convenience or for what it doesn’t have: sugar, calories, caffeine, or alcohol. But it costs 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water, which has the same benefits!
In the United States, either bottled or tap water is safe from bacteria. For tap water, that’s especially true if it’s from a large municipal water system. Since tap water is chlorine treated, you might prefer a bottled-water taste.
Is your tap water “hard” (with minerals)? If you don’t like its slightly metallic taste, consider a filter. The most effective ones meet this standard: National Sanitation Foundation International Standard 53.
One safety issue to consider is excessive lead from water pipes in older homes. If you’re concerned, ask your water utility company to test it. Note: most tap water is fluoridated, important for kids’ oral health; bottled water usually isn’t.
During August, National Water Quality Month:
- Store a safe water supply for an emergency. Figure one gallon a day per person. Buy gallon jugs of water, or store tap water in clean food-quality containers—not reused milk jugs. Date each container. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark place. Change them every six months. Read May 12 again.
- Wash water bottles—in hot, soapy water. Not only your “sports bottle,” but also your empty bottled water bottle if it’s reused. Sipping the same bottle of water over several days contaminates it with bacteria.
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