What Bottled Water Do You Drink? How Does Your Bottled Water Stack Up?Labels on expensive bottled water may lead us to think the water inside comes from pristine springs or has amazing healing powers. But, bottled water companies don't have to tell us what is in those bottles.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) decided to look at what they do tell us. And the story can be summed up in a few words -- not much.
Among the ten best-selling brands, nine — Pepsi's Aquafina, Coca-Cola's Dasani, Crystal Geyser and six of seven Nestlé brands — don't answer at least one of those questions.
Only one — Nestlé's Pure Life Purified Water — discloses its water source and treatment method on the label and offers an 800-number, website or mailing address where consumers can request a water quality test report.
EWG's just-released 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard grades more than 170 bottled waters on the information they do or do not disclose on their labels and websites.
When we looked for answers to obvious questions -- Where does the water come from? Is it purified? How? Have tests found any contaminants? -- nine out of the ten best-selling brands didn't answer at least one of those questions.
How does your bottled water brand stack up?
Here's a look at the 10 top-selling* U.S. brands:
1. Pure Life Purified Water (Nestle), EWG grade = B
2. Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = C
3. Aquafina Purified Drinking Water (Pepsi), EWG grade = D
4. Dasani Purified Water (Coca-Cola), EWG grade = D
5. Deer Park Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
6. Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
7. Ozarka Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
8. Poland Spring Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
9. Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
10. Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water (CG Roxane), EWG grade = F
Filtered tap water received the best grade (an A) from EWG because if you change your filter regularly, EWG says it is purer than bottled water, plus it saves money (bottled water can cost up to 1,900 times more than what flows from your tap). Drinking tap water also takes less of a toll on the planet. EWG offers plenty of tips for filtering your tap water so that you can drink the healthiest water possible.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) decided to look at what they do tell us. And the story can be summed up in a few words -- not much.
Among the ten best-selling brands, nine — Pepsi's Aquafina, Coca-Cola's Dasani, Crystal Geyser and six of seven Nestlé brands — don't answer at least one of those questions.
Only one — Nestlé's Pure Life Purified Water — discloses its water source and treatment method on the label and offers an 800-number, website or mailing address where consumers can request a water quality test report.
EWG's just-released 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard grades more than 170 bottled waters on the information they do or do not disclose on their labels and websites.
When we looked for answers to obvious questions -- Where does the water come from? Is it purified? How? Have tests found any contaminants? -- nine out of the ten best-selling brands didn't answer at least one of those questions.
How does your bottled water brand stack up?
Here's a look at the 10 top-selling* U.S. brands:
1. Pure Life Purified Water (Nestle), EWG grade = B
2. Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = C
3. Aquafina Purified Drinking Water (Pepsi), EWG grade = D
4. Dasani Purified Water (Coca-Cola), EWG grade = D
5. Deer Park Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
6. Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
7. Ozarka Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
8. Poland Spring Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
9. Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water (Nestle), EWG grade = D
10. Crystal Geyser Natural Alpine Spring Water (CG Roxane), EWG grade = F
Filtered tap water received the best grade (an A) from EWG because if you change your filter regularly, EWG says it is purer than bottled water, plus it saves money (bottled water can cost up to 1,900 times more than what flows from your tap). Drinking tap water also takes less of a toll on the planet. EWG offers plenty of tips for filtering your tap water so that you can drink the healthiest water possible.
What bottled water do you drink?
This is shocking. Really good to know using my brita is the way to go. I will share with all my friends. Thanks for this important info.
ReplyDeleteWe used to drink tons of bottled Poland Spring water but switched to our own water bottles. Very disturbing to read this. I hope many read this and switch to reusable water bottles we can wash and refill with our own filtered water.
ReplyDeleteTap water in America is just fine. Other than flouride in some town's water supply our kitchen tap is fine. I was raised on tap water and turned out great.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous is wrong: Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA's rules, they are subject to less rigorous testing and purity standards than those which apply to city tap water.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ehso.com/ehshome/DrWater/drinkingwater.php#Overview
Tap/filtered water saves you big bucks too!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.walletpop.com/2011/03/08/savings-experiment-break-your-bottled-water-habit-and-save-on-h/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C49352
it is possible/feasible/viable to purify sea water by means of different methods and process technologies depending on quantity and quality desired of the purified sea water which can be of different grades, different composition , like normal or low tds raw water, portable drinking water , low salinity.
ReplyDeleteco-brand water bottles