Bottled water doesn’t live up to the hype you may have heard. More often than not, there isn’t much of a difference between water from your tap and water bought in a Bottle. In fact, if you have a whole-home water filtration system, then the water from your tap is actually better than anything you can buy at the store. Here are five reasons why it’s better to Ditch Bottled water and filter your water at home:

FDA standards may not apply

Bottled water is only regulated by the FDA if it crosses state lines. State governments are responsible for regulating bottled water produced within their own borders. States often don’t hold their industries to the same standard required by the FDA. 

Water that isn’t filtered properly can contain microscopic sediments, heavy metals, and similar small and potentially harmful additions. Locally bottled and improperly-regulated bottled water may contain harmful materials like these. Filtering your water at home is a surefire way to make sure you remove harmful contaminants safely.

You’ll save a lot more money in the long run

Bottled water is expensive. How expensive? Almost ⅔ of all bottled water is sold in single 16.9 oz (500 mL) bottles, according to the American Water Works Association. In 2012, the bottled water industry grossed $11.8 billion dollars on 9.7 billion gallons of water.

That’s an average of $7.50 per gallon–2000 times the cost of a gallon of tap water, and twice the cost of a gallon of gasoline! That’s a lot of money for water that may be less filtered than stuff coming from your tap!

Bottled water is bad for the environment

The bottled water industry produces roughly 50 billion water bottles a year. That’s a lot of plastic. To produce that plastic, the industry consumes 17 million barrels of oil–and that’s just to make the bottle! Overall, the bottled water industry consumes around 50 million barrels of oil every year. That’s 50 million barrels of fossil fuel disappearing from the earth forever and polluting the ozone.

The plastic of the bottles themselves wrecks havoc on the environment, as well. The PET bottles the industry makes are recyclable, but they aren’t biodegradable. Whenever anyone throws one out instead of recycling it, these bottles sit in landfills without breaking down for centuries. Only 20% of the water bottles produced each year end up recycled. Meanwhile, 5-13 million tons of plastic, much of it from water bottles, leaks into the oceans each year. Plastic pollution has terrible consequences for ecosystems, people, and the earth itself. Drinking filtered water is an easy way to feel good about doing something positive for the global environment.

Getting a whole-home water filtration system is easy

A whole home water filter is essentially a small device that a pro can install at the point where the water main enters your home. It uses three individual processes to remove contaminants like sediment, chemicals, and volatile organic compounds from the water entering your home. It’s a simple installation that doesn’t put your life on hold and has a huge amount of long lasting benefits.

All you need to make the world a better place is to filter your water at home. The team at Ben Franklin Plumbing in MN can help you find the perfect water filtration system for your home. All you have to do is call and ask. Bottom’s up!

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