08 Jul 2010, Posted by Amelia Guimarin in Take Action, 0 Comments

Drink tap water!

Bottled water is truly a bane on our existence.  We need water to survive, yet plastic water bottles are polluting and killing us and our planet.

While plastic water bottles are recyclable, most don’t end up being recycled, and even when they are recycled, it takes a lot of energy to do so.  Plastic water bottles end up in our waterways and drain out to our oceans where they sit for years, finally breaking apart into tiny pieces that are eaten by fish, birds and other animals mistaking them for food.  Then, if these fish survive long enough to be caught and sent to market, we end up eating the chemicals contained in that plastic with our dinner filet.  And, plastic bottles leach chemicals into the water they hold which then transfer into our bodies when we drink that water.  Yuck!

Thankfully, the marketing of reusable water bottles has made consumers more and more aware of the dangers of plastic water bottles and the benefits of reusable water bottles.  At this point, we all know that BPA, even if we don’t know what it stands for (Bisphenol A, by the way) is harmful to us.  This toxic chemical found in most plastic bottles (and not just bottles of water, think: bottles of soda and juice, food packages, TV dinner trays) is linked to obesity, cancer and reproductive and neurological damage.  Even with this knowledge, many people still prefer bottled water to tap water.

Do these people know that most bottled water comes from a tap?  And in many cases tap water is no worse for your health than bottled water, some bottled water is not even filtered.

With the availability of water purifiers, health concerns, while valid, should not be major deterrents to drinking tap water – you can get a simple pitcher style purifier for under $20!  Even New York City, a gigantic (and some might think dirty) metropolis is promoting the use of tap over bottled water.  The city is very lucky in that it’s water is so pure it doesn’t even need to be filtered – indeed, their campaign even touts the use of tap water as the secret ingredient in their famous bagels and pizza!  But for those of us who are not so lucky (you can check out the water quality in your area here), including me here in the Los Angeles area, water filters are the way to go. Yes, they need to be maintained (replacing the actual filter cartridge) and yes, they have a higher initial cost than a $1 bottle of water from the grocery story, but I don’t find them any less convenient and in the long run, they certainly are cheaper – especially if you drink a lot of water, which you should since it’s good for you anyway!

So, if you want to help yourself and the environment, drink tap water!