Turn On The Tap!
9 Reasons Tap Water Is Better To Drink Than Bottled Water
Many of our member-customers ask, “Is tap water a better option to drink than bottled water?” We want you to be the judge. BSU’s potable water meets all of the standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Bottled Water companies are held to standards set by the Federal Drug and Administration and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
- Tap water can have no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform bacteria, or bacteria that are indications of possible contamination by fecal matter. FDA bottled water standards include no such prohibition.
- Utilities are required to provide the source of water while bottled water companies are not.
- Utilities are required to produce annual water quality reports. Read our most recent water quality report.
- Tap water must be tested for coliform bacteria 100 or more times a month. Bottled water companies are only required to test once a week.
- Tap water naturally contains calcium and magnesium. Few bottled brands offer significant amounts of these minerals.
- Nearly half of bottled water brands are sourced from a municipal water supply, which provides tap water.
Used water bottles tend to end up in landfills and account for 1.5 million tons of plastic waste a year. Instead of buying bottled water, fill up a reusable bottle with tap water for an eco-friendly glass of H2O. - At an average cost of $1.22 per gallon, bottled water costs 300 times more than the cost of tap water.
- Utilities must have their water tested by government-certified labs; such certified testing is not required for bottlers.
- Water system operators must be certified and trained to ensure that they know how to safely treat and deliver water; bottlers do not have to be licensed.
