The Public’s Mistrust of Tap Water is a Big Problem for All of Us

Recently, I have noticed that a growing number of people are not only consuming bottled water themselves, but are giving bottled water to their pets. This indicates that people don’t trust tap water, even though its quality water is regularly monitored and regulated through the Safe Drinking Water Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In fact, there are fewer regulations for bottled water than tap water.

The consequences of the public’s unawareness of the quality of tap water are economic and environmental. Bottled water costs as much as 1000 times more than municipal tap water. The transportation and disposal activities of the bottled water industry are environmentally taxing.

But, there is an even larger problem. This common mistrust of the quality of municipal tap water allows for the continued underinvestment in public water infrastructure. Let’s explore this further.

Achievements of the Water Utility Sector

First, let’s give water utilities some much deserved credit. Water utilities have successfully delivered clean water directly to the taps of U.S. homes so consistently that most take this for granted. Through filtration and disinfection processes, water utilities have nearly eradicated water borne disease. In 1997, Life Magazine reported:

“The filtration of drinking water (plus the use of chlorine) is probably the most significant public health advancement of the millennium.”

Utilities also provide this service at an incredibly low cost, typically a few dollars per thousand gallons (nearly 1000 times cheaper than bottled water, milk, or gas).

The Problem with Bottled Water Consumption

The one area where bottled water companies have outperformed water utilities is in the area of marketing. I have a hard time thinking of another product that has widespread availability (at least in the U.S. and Western Europe), and commands such an extreme price mark-up.

Beyond the price mark-up to the consumer, there are other problems stemming from the extensive consumption of bottled water which include:

• In 2010, National Geographic estimated that the U.S. public consumes approximately 50 billion water bottles per year, and many are not recycled.
• If the plastic bottles are reused and exposed to sunlight, the bottles (depending on the plastic used) can release a hormone disruptor or a possible carcinogen.
• The transport of bottled water is energy intensive. According to the National Geographic, it can take up to 3 liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water.

I grant that bottled water provides certain advantages. Bottled water is convenient, and is a must when traveling in countries where clean water is not readily accessible. However, in U.S. cities with robust water treatment and distribution systems, widespread consumption of bottled water (especially unnecessary consumption by pets) gives us reason to pause, and evaluate the broader implications.

The Implication

In “The Big Thirst”, Charles Fishman reported that aggregate bottled water purchases by Americans are roughly equivalent to the annual spending of the entire U.S. water-supply system. At a time when U.S. water infrastructure is in critical need of investment and repair, these misperceptions are significant. It is easy to envision the improvements to the water system that could be made if a portion of the monetary transactions for bottled water were instead invested in public water infrastructure (which would benefit everyone).

More on this to follow.

This post reflects my personal opinion, and does not reflect an official position of USACE, AAAS, ORISE, or any other organization.

Sources:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/09/09greenwire-fewer-regulations-for-bottled-water-than-tap-g-33331.html
2. Chellaney, Brahma. Water, Peace, and War. 2013.
3. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100310/why-tap-water-is-better/