The Value of Tap Water vs. Bottled
An MWRA Employee's Case Study,
peformed as a student project for Harvard Extension School
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

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MWRA is pleased to present the paper "The Value of Tap Water: a Comparison of Bottled, Filtered and Tap Water Using the MWRA as a Case Study," by Judith Whittier, a Chemist at our Central Laboratory.

This paper is available in PDF and HTML formats and the abstract follows.

ABSTRACT: The tap water versus bottled water debate is active not only amongst those working in the environmental field, but in the media and community at large. With the future of the world’s water at risk as a commons shared by all, how water as a limited resource is used and managed is an important issue that will no doubt demand serious attention now and in the years to come. Because water quality, in terms of health and safety, is a major reason why consumers choose filtered or bottled water over tap water, a more substantive discussion of some of the water quality issues that affect drinking water choice are discussed. A comparison of tap water, filtered water and bottled water quality is provided which could also provide information as to how a consumer could best spend their water dollars while also meeting the best interest of our environment.

Updated April 7, 2008