It is very likely that you have already read something online or in the news that asks you to consider whether bottled water versus filtered water is better than the other when it comes to your health, safety, and budget.
Ultimately, filtered water is considerably better than bottled water for all of these reasons – most notably, that for decades, we have seen story after story of times when bottled water companies – including from big name distributors – have scored lower on water quality and safety than their nearby cities’ local tap water systems.
However, there are many factors that go into this contest. Read on to be more empowered and informed on one of the biggest ways you can make a splash on the health and safety of your family.
This Old House
Again, when it comes to safety, in the battle between bottled water versus filtered water, filtered water fares far better overall. That said, this is not the case for everywhere, and one of the biggest areas of concern is if you find yourself in a place where the building is older than the building codes on water safety.
Water filters meeting NSF/ANSI 53 specifications reduce contaminants to safe standards. However, if you are living or working in an old home, shop, or office where you can’t trust the safety or soundness of its pipes due to valid and lingering fears about lead, asbestos, or any other known carcinogen where sufficient filtration isn’t present, bottled water is better than filtered water – or bring your own water!
That said, with so many new filtration devices on the market, when costing out filtered water vs. bottled water for any property you own, over time, there is no doubt that the investment in filtration will win not only in terms of cost savings, but also in terms of convenience and quality of life. The ability to simply turn on the tap water and to trust that your water is now considerably safer is never something to take for granted, after all!
Convenience Considerations
There is a reason that bottled water is still prevalent, even though the environment and your wallet might say otherwise. After all, if you see someone out and about on a hot day, chances are exceedingly higher that you will offer them a drink of H2O with an unopened water bottle versus filtering water on the go! Therefore, when it comes to day-to-day convenience, pre-packaged water in bottle form still has its place.
That said, what about if you want safe water for a bath or for a luxurious hot tub dip? Or, what about in emergency situations where access to stores is nearly impossible, and transporting large cases of bottled water is simply unwieldy? Is filtered water better than bottled water?
In less common scenarios, consider a backpacking or camping trip: sure, you could bring many bottles of water with you, but between the extra weight and your responsibility to pack out all of your trash, there is no doubt that being able to filter your water on the go can ultimately be the difference between life or death – and you certainly don’t want to fill up a pool or hot tub with copious amounts of bottled water!
Environmental Considerations
Everything comes full circle, and that includes the environment when weighing if filtered water is better than bottled water. Once again, filtered water wins this round versus bottled water, as installing a filtration system and swapping out a filter has far less impact on the environment than the manufacture of plastic for the bottles, distribution of said plastic, the transportation of water (likely far from your local source), and then, of course, the fact that most plastic bottles end up in landfills, there is no doubt that filtration is better for the planet’s health and yours. Just as your filtered water keeps you safe from environmental hazards, you can return the favor to the environment by using filtration systems over plastic bottles!
Cultural Considerations
All things considered, since “better” can still be a very objective term, what you ultimately prefer also includes recognizing cultural influences and conditioning. For people from parts of the world where tap water isn’t known to be safe, bottled water is far more popular. After all, even if water bottle distributors’ standards are often not as high as what is found in most industrialized nations’ municipal tap sources, bottled water is better, versus water not properly filtered.
At the same time, in some parts of the world, including in East Asia, hot water is already considered more optimal for health due to traditional medicinal practices. With that in mind, it is not uncommon to find hot, filtered water on tap, and thus a better option than cold bottled water – to say nothing of cheaper.
Ask an Expert
With so much at stake when it comes to your and your family’s health and safety, securing your access to safer drinking water is a sound investment of your time and resources. Explore your options with Hydrovos, and let us find the solutions that work best for you!