Where Do You Get Your H2O?

I received one of those nostalgic forward-to-your-friends emails the other day about the generations born prior to 1979 (some of us well before 1979). We survived mothers who drank and smoked, riding bikes without helmets, and – gasp! – drinking tap water, sometimes from hoses and sprinklers!

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a non-profit environmental association, more than half of all Americans drink bottled water, and about a third consumes it regularly. Not so long ago the idea of paying for water seemed preposterous, now it’s standard practice.

Bottled water can be very convenient, if you’re on the go, or in a location where you are unsure of the source and safety of the water. Unfortunately, bottled water has its drawbacks, most significantly the lack of any meaningful monitoring. To date, the government has little to no regulatory authority over the bottled water industry and virtually no means for enforcing recommendations regarding bottling, processing or labeling.

The NRDC conducted an independent "snapshot" quality test of 103 brands (the total number of bottles tested was 1000) of bottled water. While concluding that most brands do market a safe product, the NRDC found that a third of the samples contained contaminates – including bacteria, arsenic and industrial chemicals -- in excess of that allowed by state or industry guidelines.

Beyond safety, we’re also left with the huge issue of where all those bottles go. Our landfills are overflowing with plastic bottles and even those conscientious recyclers express concerns that those bottles end at the dump anyway.

What are the options?

• Install a filter on your tap or purchase a water pitcher. Prices range from $24.95 for a pitcher (Brita) to $577.20 for a tap filter system (eSpring). Installing your own water filter can save you money, ensure the water you're drinking is safe, and eliminate the empty bottles from your household recycling bin. For a comparison of the top ten brands, their costs per gallon and annual costs go to www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.
• Sign up for a purified water delivery service. Hinckley Springs services the North Shore offering cooler rental and bottle delivery service. Their most popular plan (offered to new customers only) includes rental of cooler with hot and cold spigots, four 5 gallon bottles of purified water, a 24 case of bottled water for $21.97. You also pay up front a $6 per bottle deposit which gets credited upon return/pickup and taxes are additional. www.hinckleysprings.com
• Drink tap water. If you live in Chicago or a local municipality which obtains its water supply from the city, your tap water is deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This doesn't mean there's a complete absence of contaminants; Trace amounts of medications can be found in Chicago's supply. If you have children, their dental health may be a consideration, as the city’s water supply is treated with fluoride supplementation that bottled water just doesn’t offer.