Alejandro Rojas, Grade 6
Ms. O'Hara, Teacher / Rumney Marsh School, Revere
"Put Down That Fancy Bottle"
Drip-drop, drip-drop – you probably will go home today and chug a bottle of water right in front of your faucet. There are many reasons why you should choose the faucet over the factory instead. Well, put that bottle of water down and hear me out! Bottled water is neither benefiting you nor the environment.
First and foremost, tap water is tested each and every day. While bottled water is tested only weekly. You, the consumer, can find out the results of tap water testing but, bottled water results remain a secret. Even if the factory receives a failing grade during these testing, the bottled water can still show up on the supermarket shelf.
When it comes to your health, tap water is more essential. A small amount of chlorine is present in your tap water to stop the growth of bacteria. On the other hand, bottled water contains nothing to kill bacteria. The bacteria can possibly multiply within the bottle until it finds a new home in your body. Costing only pennies a day versus dollars, tap water can provide you with nutrients such as calcium and iron. In addition, tap water has more fluoride than bottled water which helps prevent tooth decay. As for bottled water, all natural minerals are removed through the filtration process.
When it comes to the environment, tap water supports it. By using tap water, 1.5 million barrels of crud oil, the amount used to manufacture plastic bottles, can be saved. Those fancy plastic bottles, which end up on the landfills across the United States, can take up to one thousand years to biodegrade. Also, tap water flows through various fire hydrants across the country. This provides fire protection in many neighborhoods.
In the end, it has been found that twenty-five percent or more of bottled water may just be tap water in a fancy bottle. Now you have the facts. Put that bottle of water down for the last time, run to your tap water and reap the many benefits it can provide.
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