Brendan Kimball, Grade 10
Ms. Funderburk, Dean / Archbishop Williams H.S., Braintree
"Avoid the Trap...Go With Tap!"
"Dasani water. Can't live without it. Dasani. Treat yourself well. Everyday."
"Aquafina. Make your body happy. Drink more water. Nothing but pure refreshment. So pure, we promise nothing. Aquafina bottled water. Purity Guaranteed"
"Poland Spring. What it means to be from Maine."
With clever slogans like these popping up on your television a few times a day, how can you say no?
These bottled waters must be heavenly, simply irresistible. By being exposed to all of these advertisements we feel compelled to buy some of it.
In our society today it has become a very common misconception that our tap water is not pure and healthy for us to drink. Surveys show that 56% of Americans today are concerned about the quality of their tap water and the bottled water industry is cashing in on our fear at a shocking rate of $22 billion a year (Bottled vs. Tap).
This raises the question, what's wrong with the tap water? Where do all of these cases against tap water come from? Where's the proof? Could, in some crazy world, tap water actually have benefits?
Yes!
In short, tap water gets a bad rap. The truth is that the difference between our tap and bottled water is negligible. We have so many concerns about our tap water, usually because we see it come out of our faucet and don't exactly know how it gets there.
Whereas with Poland Spring bottled water there is no doubt in our mind's that it comes from Maine. Why? Because of its slogan... "Poland Spring. What it means to be from Maine."
Is it because our tap water doesn't have a clever slogan that we fear to drink it? The truth about our bottled water is that it comes primarily from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs. These reservoirs are filled naturally. The water's contact with the soil actually helps clear it. These water sources are test daily by the MWRA. An even more impressive stat is that over 1,500 samples are tested per month to ensure the purity of the water.
The process by which this is done is very thorough. First, the water is
disinfected, and then it is protected from contamination. The pH level is then adjusted, and finally fluorine is added for healthy teeth.
If that isn't enough to convince you that tap water is perfectly safe, it is tested with state and federal standards, to give absolutely no doubt that it is safe to drink.
So no, our water isn't taken straight from the reservoirs and put into our faucets. Many ignorant people do not understand the process by which our tap water is purified or they simply don't want to take the time to try. So most people take the easy way out and buy the heavily advertised bottled water. If you take the time to really look at the facts about tap water, you will without a doubt find no problem with the tap water supply.
If you weighed the benefits of bottled and tap water you would have a long list for each but tap would be longer. It is pretty much given that the only reason that bottled water is preferred is because of the unknowns of tap water.
Tap water is never really given a fair shake because no ever bothers to look at the facts. Some of the truths about tap water are that the lead levels are very good. The most recent sampling round met the Lead Action Level. Results from lead and copper samples collected in September 2007 show that 96.5% of the high-risk homes had lead levels equal to or below the Lead Action Level of 15 parts per billion. MWRA, as a system, has met 11 of the last 13 sampling rounds.
Therefore, if you are worried about your tap water's lead content, don't be.
In addition to that, MWRA water sometimes turns yellowish from low levels of dissolved iron picked up from old iron pipes. This may be the root of many rumors that suggest that tap water is not healthy. However, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, increased levels of iron that produce yellow water are not health threats.
Another common concern about tap water is its occasional cloudy look. Cloudy water is caused by air bubbles in the water. It usually happens when it is very cold outside and air gets mixed in with the water supply. It is completely harmless. These are some of the deep dark fears of people who don't truly understand the truths about tap water.
If these are the worst things about tap water and these are the things that drive us away from drinking tap water and they don't even harm us, what are we really scared of!? Tap water is perfectly safe to drink, no questions asked.
To reiterate, the difference between tap and bottled water is negligible. If you were to take a normal bottle of water and then filled another bottle with tap water, it is doubtful that you could notice much of a difference.
In our society today we feel that the more that we spend on something, the better it is. So when we spend five to ten dollars on a pack of bottled water at the market, the average American feels that he or she is getting the top quality water for their buck. When we are charged like this for our bottled water it is easy to believe that the water that we bought is the top of the line. However, the truth is that tap water isn't much different from bottled. As was previously mentioned, the MWRA puts the water through a very thorough treatment system to ensure purity.
Bottled and tap water have similar tastes, similar health effects, but bottled water costs us more money. For the properly educated American, that seems like a "no-brainer". However, tap water for one reason or another is put off as being unhealthy and impure. If Americans followed the facts they wouldn't only drink tap water, but they would save themselves some money as well.
By being exposed to so much colorful advertisement for bottled water, as humans we feel compelled to buy some of it. In our society today it has become a very common misconception that our tap water is not pure and healthy for us to drink.
As has been touched upon numerous times, tap water is perfectly fine to drink. Not only is it cheap, but it provides your body as a source of fluoride, and most of all it is healthy and pure. Just because there are no loud and clever slogans to promote tap water, we don't feel compelled to drink it.
Most Americans are misinformed about tap water; they simply go by the word of their neighbor. It is for this reason that the benefits of tap water should be made known to all.
This can be accomplished by having advertisements on the television, information in schools, or even flyers in the mail. By letting people know the truth about tap water, they may not be so scared to drink it.
You can go by what everyone else says and buy bottled water at the store or you can look at the raw facts and make a smart decision. If you do take the time to look at the benefits of bottled water and tap water there is no doubt that tap water would come out on top. The facts are all there, now it's just a matter of common sense.
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Sources
- Poland Springs Slogan Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.polandspring.com/
- How the Water Svstem Works. MWRA. Sunday, 23 February, 2008.
- The bottled water industry and what it wants all of us to believe. Nicholas Kenney September 8, 2007
- http:/ /www.gomestic.com/Consumer - InformationIBottled- Water - V s- Tao- Water. 44631
- Frequently Asked Ouestions about Drinking Water. MWRA. Sunday, February 24, 2008 http://www.mwra.com/04water/html/qua14concerns.htm
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