Archive for the ‘What we are Drinking’ Category

Okay let’s get out the definition book first.  By definition water is water. That is to say, all water on Earth is a compound of two hydrogen and one oxygen molecule. The difference between various types of bottled waters lies mainly in where the source is located and what processes the water goes through before it is sold to consumers.

Some types of bottled water, such as well or spring, get their designation from their original source. Mineral water must contain a specified amount of trace minerals naturally before it can be sold. Distilled or purified water must be put through a filtration or mechanical process in order to remove contaminants and minerals. Some water types may actually fit into several different categories- distilled water, for example, is also purified by definition. Spring and well waters make excellent refreshments during and after exercise, but distilled water lacks trace minerals and may not have a satisfying taste. Mineral water may have a natural sparkle and refreshing taste, but a little may go a long way.

Water-Quality Regulation

Two different groups govern the quality of drinking water in the United States. The Food and
Administration sets standards for bottled water, while the Environmental Protection Agency
sets standards for tap water. Side-by-side there are very few differences between these two
sets of guidelines. However, proponents of both bottled water and tap water would have you
believe otherwise.

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is a consortium of bottled-water companies that
joined forces to promote and help regulate the bottled-water industry. They created a policy called
“The Model Bottled Water Regulation,” (available at www.bottledwater.org). All companies in the
IBWA abide by these regulations and claim that bottled water is subject to certain standards that
are more aggressive than those governing tap water. No third-party investigations have
demonstrated that bottled water passes more safety and health checks before reaching
the consumer.

So at the end of the day what we need to be clear on here people is that when you are buying that cheap bottled water just to fill up your fridge you are essentially buying tap water that has probably been sitting in warm plastic bottles for a long stretch of time.  We all know how I feel about plastic and heat.

There are some exceptions.  If you are out and about and need to hydrate then by all means go ahead and get a bottled water.  I don’t know about you but FIJI water is my favorite.  A bit pricey but worth it.

If your refrigerator comes with it’s own carbon filtration system (most do now a days) then you are essentially getting better quality water then 95% of the bottled waters available.

If you are looking for a plain water filter then BRITA is the way to go.  They are simply the best.

So remember the plastic in those plastic water bottles is cheap.  Go ahead and get one of those hiker bottles to put your filtrated water in for on the go.  Or you can check out our Stainless Steel Baby Bottle for hot and cold liquids or our entire line of PVC, Phthalate, BPA and Nitorsamine Free (what a mouth full) Bottles.

Hope that helps,

MARK