Essay Example on Bottled vs Tap Water: Benefits and Drawbacks

Concerns about the safety of tap water around the country have been on the rise in the recent past. In response, more and more consumers are turning to bottled water. While bottled water offers a safer option, the plastics bottles have huge environmental impacts. In this light, this paper seeks to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the two options.

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Issues regarding the presence of lead in tap water are the primary reasons why people choose bottled water, which is considered to be safer. Resultantly, the bottled water industry has experienced drastic growth in recent years (International Bottled Water Association, 2020). However, bottled water raises various environmental concerns. First, plastic bottles contribute significantly to environmental pollution. Secondly, bottled water lead to wastage. For instance, it is estimated that 1.63 liters of water are used to make one liter of bottled water (Postman, 2016). Also, bottled water is much more expensive than tap water (Postman, 2016).

On the other hand, tap water is cheaper and more environmental friendly. It is also important to note that the regulations on the safety of tap water are stricter than those of bottled water. It is, therefore, possible that tap water is safer than bottled water (Postman, 2016). However, the issue of lead and pesticide runoff contamination pose a huge health risk to the general population.

It can be argued that the public concerns regarding the safety of tap water have been amplified to push the sales of bottled water. Advertisements and labels present bottled water as pure and pristine to attract more consumers. The conflict is possible in various readings. Generally, the readings from the bottled water industry seem to present bottled water as the safer and better option, while environmental organizations lean towards the view that bottled water adversely affects the environment and tap water is not less safe. For instance, the International Bottled Water Association disregards the notion that bottled water thrives on manufactured demand (IBWA, 2020). On the other hand, the article by The Water Project outrightly terms bottled water as wasteful (The Water Project, 2019). However, it is important to note that each of the perspectives held by both parties in the articles is backed by evidence.

The tap water versus bottled water debate has both a medical and environmental side. I would, therefore, recommend medical and environmental sources to a friend seeking to learn more about the debate. An article in the Medical News Today outlines the pros and cons of each (Butler, 2020). A 2010 National Geographic article also gives insight into the reasons why tap water is better than bottled water (Karlstorm & Dell'Amore, 2010). Finally, I would recommend a peer-reviewed journal article to offer a scientific perspective of the issue (Leveque & Burns, 2018).

References

Butler, N. (2020, January 2). Which is better: Bottled water or tap water? Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327395

IBWA. (2020). The Real Story of Bottled Water. Retrieved from IBWA: https://www.bottledwater.org/content/real-story-bottled-waterInternational Bottled Water Association. (2020). Bottled Water -The Nation's Healthiest Beverage - Sees Accelerated Growth and Consumption. Retrieved from IBWA: https://www.bottledwater.org/bottled-water-%E2%80%93-nation%E2%80%99s-healthiest-beverage-%E2%80%93-sees-accelerated-growth-and-consumption

Karlstorm, S., & Dell'Amore, C. (2010, March 13). Why Tap Water is Better Than Bottled Water. Retrieved from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/3/why-tap-water-is-better/

Leveque, J. G., & Burns, R. C. (2018). Drinking water in West Virginia (USA): tap water or bottled water-what is the right choice for college students? Journal of water and health, 16(5), 827-838. Retrieved from https://iwaponline.com/jwh/article-abstract/16/5/827/63663

Postman, A. (2016, January 5). The Truth About tap. Retrieved from NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap?gclid=CjwKEAjwiru9BRDwyKmR08L3iS0SJABN8T4vh7EPp9spmUi3RHAbfjYB4pwB6AqSheOuuzA57FdxXBoCRLPw_wcB),%20National%20Resources%20Defense%20Council%20%20(Retrieved%20from:%20https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap

The Water Project. (2019). Bottled water seems wasteful. Retrieved from The Water Project: https://thewaterproject.org/bottled-water/bottled_water_wasteful