Bottled water can be a quick and convenient way to get your water on the go, but there are many reasons why you should stop buying bottled water and start drinking filtered water.

Some of them include:

• Research shows that 40% of bottled water on the market is filtered water

• Bottled water is subject to less guidance and testing than filtered  water

• Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year

• Studies show that bottle water is no better than filtered water

• Some plastic bottles contain chemicals such as bisphenol A BPA, that can leech into the water and has been proven to be dangerous for humans.

• Many bottled water when being transported is stored in direct sunlight on trucks or in warehouses, which can alter molecular structure of the plastic for the bottled water.

Bottled drinking water has become a staple for many people. Filter water contains many substances that can be harmful to health and encourages people to look for different ways to get their hand on safe water. One way that many people consider safe and definitely convenient is the use of H2O in plastic containers. Wherever you go, you can see people drinking bottled water. However, how sure are you of the quality of this expensive liquid?

There are studies and reports showing that bottled drinking water is no better than tap water. In fact, there have been instances where bottled drinking water has been recalled due to contamination by microorganisms such as bacteria and molds, as well as chemicals such as arsenic and bromate.

Bottled water is promoted to people as clean and safer than tap, but the truth is that bottlers are required to meet only the same or lesser quality standards than tap water. The FDA does not have specific powers that would require manufacturers to use certified laboratories for water quality testing and to report test results in cases of standard violation.

Top Reasons to stop drinking bottled water

• Bottled water may be less safe than filtered water

Tap water must meet a number of health and safety requirements prior to distribution. However, it is important to note that bottled water does not have to comply with the same regulations. Because of this oversight, bottled water may contain toxins that are less safe and more likely than filtered tap water. Just because companies market their water with words like “purified” it does not actually mean that is the case. Unfortunately, you really have no idea if your bottled water is indeed safe.

• Bottled Water Creates Plastic Waste

It is virtually impossible to recycle all those used plastic bottles. They are just too many, they are everywhere you go. They are not biodegradable either. Even with recycling efforts, it is said that 6 of the 7 plastic bottles consumed in the world are sent away and out of sight. In turn, the chemicals from bottles can enter soil and water collection areas, making them toxic and dangerous.

• Bottle production kills the environment

Water aside, bottles still pose problems for us and the environment in which we live. The high demand for water bottles means that we use more than 17 million barrels of oil a year, according to the Pacific Institute. It’s a lot of non-renewable resources that are used unnecessarily. Can we really afford to pour our gasoline resources into making a pile of plastic bottles?

• Bottled water may come from the tap

If we look at the promotion of bottled water, we are led to believe that our H2O comes from volcanic regions and heavenly springs. In reality, this may not be the case. TODAY, an estimated 25% of bottled water comes out of the tap before being sealed. So you are better off filtering water instead of buying it from the companies.

• Bottled water has no proven benefits

Many people seem to worry about the quality of tap water and decide that bottled water is safe. However, this opinion that bottled water is healthier is completely wrong. The National Resources Defense Council (NDRC) reports that a four-year review of the water industry’s safety found no evidence supporting that bottled water is definitely better. In other words, there is no point buying a branded bottled water. Instead maybe you can look into the benefits that dissolved hydrogen water has.

The true quality of bottled water becomes evident as soon as you realize there are allowable “safe” limits of contamination. Bottlers are much less strenuously regulated than municipal wastewater treatment facilities are. This slack regulation has sometimes caused problems for bottling companies.

More than once, the quality of bottled water has been seriously criticized for the uncontrolled levels of carcinogenic benzene. Due to the benzene content of the water, several well known recalls have occurred in recent decades. In one case, concentrations of this carcinogen were found to be more than 15 times higher than the value considered acceptable.

Labels on bottled water are often misleading and tend to make consumers believe that the water source is pure and clean as “spring water”. In addition to the safety and purity of bottled water, the plastic bottles produced actually contribute to the environmental problem of generating more waste and using more energy. Bottled water can also be quite expensive, especially when compared to other ways of ensuring clean and safe drinking water.

A better way to ensure that you get clean drinking water is the use of a home filtration system. Filtration systems must meet certain standards before they can be purchased and installed internally to ensure water quality. Sub-micron filtration, carbon filtration and ion exchange are must have in a filtration system so that contaminants will be effectively removed while leaving important minerals intact. Filters do not require power and require minimal maintenance.

Bottled drinking water does not only harm the planet. It can also affect your health, especially if there are so many problematic issues that arise from bottled water. Why spend so much on something you are not sure of? So next time you are thinking about buying bottled water at the store think again. Maybe if you buy a reusable bottle it just fill it up with water you would be doing yourself and the world a service.