July 2004 | Co-op America’s Living Green

Is Bottled Water Better?

Dear Co-op America, Is it true that bottled water isn’t necessarily healthier than tap water? — Oscar, Boulder, Colo.

THAT’S RIGHT: Bottled water may not be any better for your health than tap water, and in some cases it may be worse. Tap water must conform to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, while bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A 2001 study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund found that the FDA’s rules for bottled water were less stringent than EPA rules for tap water — for instance, unlike those for tap water, bottled water regulations called for less-frequent testing and didn’t ban phthalates (which are carcinogens and endocrine disruptors) or fecal coliforms.

According to government and industry estimates, as much as 40 percent of bottled water is actually tap water, sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not. In a four-year study published in 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council tested 103 brands of bottled water and found that one-third had levels of chemical or bacterial contaminants that exceeded state or industry standards. In addition, bottled water consumption can waste resources as bottles are manufactured, filled, transported and discarded.

For drinking water needs, tap water is often your best choice. To check the quality of your tap’s output, ask your local water department for its latest “consumer confidence report,” or consult the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. You can further purify your tap water with a carbon carafe or a faucet-mounted filter from companies like Common Sense Solutions (888-324-4175, www.multipureusa.com/commonsense), Global Environmental Technologies (www.terraflo.com, 800-800-8377), and GAIAM (800-869-3446, www.gaiam.com).

When you do need to buy bottled water, check the label or the cap and see if it says “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system.” Both of these terms mean you’re essentially drinking tap water, which may or may not have undergone additional purification. Water labeled “spring water” comes from a natural source, though much of it may be mechanically pumped to the surface. If you want more information on the water’s source, call or write the bottler.

Natural Cradle Cap Treatments

Dear Co-op America, Our infant son suffers from cradle cap. Are there natural ways to treat it? — Sara and Enzo, e-mail

APPLY A NATURAL baby oil that’s not petroleum-based to the scalp, and shampoo the affected area with a gentle, natural, and preferably organic shampoo. Mom’s Natural Solutions offers an all-natural cradle cap remedy made from organic essential oils in a base of almond oil (www.momsnaturalsolutions.com). The Baby Mine Store (877-314-5437, www.babyminestore.com) stocks Little Forests’s Cradle Cap Treatment system, consisting of all-natural baby oil and shampoo, a sponge applicator, and a comb.

Living Green is brought to you by Co-op America, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides green living, purchasing, and investing tips and resources. To join Co-op America and get a free copy of the National Green Pages™ directory of green businesses, contact 800/58-GREEN. If you have a question for Living Green, click to e-mail.

[Send] Recommend this page to a friend

AddThis Feed Button

Top Ten pages recommended to friends:

  1. Mitral Valve Prolapse
  2. Inflammation = Degenerative Disease
  3. Kombucha
  4. Conversations: David Wolfe
  5. Plastuck
  6. Going with the Flow through Cranial Sacral Therapy
  7. We Like it Raw
  8. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Media Soap Opera
  9. Beyond Eco-Apartheid
  10. Urban Wind Visionary

Find CC In Print
Subscribe to Newsletter