The Pros and Cons of Tap vs. Bottled Water

On the Long Night of Arts & Innovation, last October 10, 2013, here at Riverside, I have attended a workshop " How Safe is Safe Enough" by Dr. Marylynn V Yates, Dean & professor of UCR; in which I have learned about of tap water (Riverside County) and also about our tap water in the entire state. Dr. Yates has explained very detailed about my questions regarding this topic, for example, she has mentioned that drinking tape water is safe rather than bottled water. First, she has explained about the regulations on tap water by EPA, and the lack of regulation on tap water by FDA. Since those days, I have decided to stop buying bottled water, ( I was a good customer of bottled water in the past). 

This spring brake, after watching the documentary "Tapped the Movie" I have confirmed my decision of  drinking tap water, also it has helped me  to answer a couple of questions regarding this contradictory topic, for example:
1. Where does my home’s tap water come from? I have discovered that my tap water comes from the Santa Ana region, that provides water to Orange, Riverside, and San Bernadino counties. My tap water is regulated by EPA. Moreover, there are many environmental programs working together in order to get a safe drinking water,  as the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES); this  program permits for discharges from municipal storm sewers. California has been authorized by EPA to implement the NPDES storm water permit program in all areas of the state except tribal lands. In southern California, the Regional Water Quality Control Boards issue Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits to cover municipalities in urban areas. Each of these permits requires the municipalities to establish storm water control programs to control pollution from industrial and commercial facilities, construction sites, new development, municipal activities, and to provide public education on storm water pollution prevention (http://www.epa.gov/SoCal/water/)
Another programs, as Keeping Trash Out of Waterways, are using the TMLD (total maximum daily load) and  EPA helps and tribes conduct intensive monitoring, assessment, and watershed planning activities to track water quality, identify polluted waters, and develop pollution control plans called "total maximum daily loads," or TMDLs. The Clean Water Act requires states and territories to issue water quality status reports every two years. These reports identify water quality trends, prioritize polluted waters, and target waters for TMDL development. TMDLs identify the pollutant load reductions that are necessary from point and nonpoint sources and guide implementation work by federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local water quality protection programs. Then, drinking tap from my county is safe. Let's drink it! 

Corona Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion on Tap. (Riverside County Potable Water) 

2. What federal agency is in charge of tap water? Also, what are the federal standard of bottled water?  The documentary "Tapped the movie" has showed that tap water is regulated by EPA (Environmental Protect Agency) under much stricter standards regulates tap water. Contrary, bottled water, depending upon the brand, may actually be less clean and safe than tap water. The EPA mandates that local water treatment plants provide city residents with a detailed account of tap water’s source and the results of any testing, including contaminant level violations. Bottled water companies are under no such directives. In the documentary, Senator John Kerry pointed against and FDA regulator agent who couldn't answer to many questions, as "Are you really aware of the American people wellness by providing them safe water? The FDA representative didn't answer it. During those days, Mr. Kerry was a senator, now, he is the United States Secretary of State, so, my question now is? Why he doesn't address this issue again? Since I don't like politics, I will understand that he might be having other "important issues" on his agenda, and now, there might be "another senator" in charge of this topic :-)

Water Quality Control Plant, Riverside, CA. 

3. In the USA, we hear about how bottled water is supposedly more convenient. But what are some of the concerns and drawbacks of bottled water? Regarding this question, I will say that the media has always a big impact in our everyday lives. First, this impact can be negative or positive. It would depend of how moral/ethic is the person or the media agency while advertising. This might be another topic for later on, now, lets address the impact of the media regarding bottled water. Tapped  presented that people started choosing bottled water since 1970 when the media focused on "Perrier" as the best drinking safe and fine water for people.  After that, in 1989 the market started to introduce bottled water into a cheap plastic bottles made of PET. Actually, the main plant that produces the cheap plastic bottles is located in Corpus Christi, Texas, where many people has complained of respiratory issues due to carbon emission pollution because of the overproduction of plastic bottles.  Another concern of bottled water is economic issue. Bottled water is the second largest commercial beverage in the United States. According to the BMA (Beverage Marketing Association), in  2012, the total volume of bottled water consumed in the US was 9.7 billion gallons. A 6.2% increase from 2011. That translates into an average of 30.8 gallons per person ( http://www.bottledwater.org/economics/bottled-water-market)
The three main companies that compete for this market are Nestle, Coca Cola & Pepsi. 

Plastic material that has been founded in death marine species bodies. 

Dr. Lincoln, Scientist & Chemistry Professor at U C San Diego is showing the plastic particles founded in many marine species death bodies.

Tapped also has reported on the scandal that is bottled water: Companies suck up millions of gallons of public water, then they sell it back to us at a huge markup in plastic bottles that cause serious environmental problems. The last drawback that I would mention is the harmful environmental impact of all these empty bottled water. For example, Tapped shows that only 11 states are aware of improving in recycling programs to protect our environment regarding the empty bottles. In the other hand, people in other states is not recycling this trash and finally, the empty bottles appear in the Pacific ocean. One third of the eighty million of plastic bottles that Americans drink per day end at the ocean, rivers, lakes, etc.   Tapped presents Dr. Lincoln,  a former U C San Diego scientist and Chemistry professor who has started an investigation in 2006 about ocean contamination, he has been taking water samples  from Australia to Central California  in order to identify the damage to the environment regarding these empty bottles. He has founded that the ocean contamination has increase 60% more since he started his investigation, also he says that the 95% of the ocean contamination is due to plastic slices. It has been killing many marine species as other species. To conclude with his investigations, he said that the North Pacific Gyre is the most vulnerable area in which tons of plastic contamination end.

North Pacific Gyre:  where the majority of the empty plastic bottles ends. 

Dead albatross founded  in San Diego Coast with lots of plastic inside him :-(

Indeed, we must stop consuming bottled water for many reasons:

1. It is passively regulated by FDA

2. Big companies as Nestle, Pepsi, and Coca Cola have been taking advantage of our natural resources of water in order to make business regarding population's health & well being.  

3. The low recycling programs in the United States & worldwide are damaging our ecosystem

Snapping turtle by a rounded plastic piece. 

and the most important, drinking tap water is safe and cheap, also by doing it you are contributing to care our environment. 

California Coastal Commission: The Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s investigation of plastic in the North Pacific Central Gyre of the Pacific Ocean showed that the mass of plastic pieces was six times greater than zooplankton floating on the water’s surface. This study is one of many that demonstrate that our oceans have become the virtual garbage can for the developed and developing world.

Land-based discharges of human-made debris comprise the largest source of marine debris 

in oceans world-wide (nearly 80%).

Please be kind: Stop supporting bottled water!

Plastic trash on the banks of the Tijuana River in San Diego, CA