Bottled Water Calculator
How much water do you drink?
Edit the values below to see how much you could be saving.“Because FDA’s experience over the years has shown that bottled water has a good safety record, bottled water plants generally are assigned low priority for inspection.”
Regulation: Bottled Water vs Tap Water
Issue | Bottled Water Regulated by FDA |
Tap Water Regulated by EPA |
---|---|---|
E. Coli | A certain amount of any bacteria is allowed. | Cannot have confirmed E. coli or fecal Coliform bacteria. |
Filtration | No federal filtration or disinfection requirements. | Filtered and/or disinfected |
Enforcement | Bottled water in violation of standards can still be sold. | Violation of drinking water standards are grounds for enforcement. |
Testing | Such testing is not required for bottlers. | Utilities must have their water tested by certified labs. |
Reporting | There are no reporting requirements for bottlers. | Tap water results must be reported to state or federal officials. |
Certification | Bottled water plant operators do not have to be certified. | Water system operators must be certified. |
Right-to-know | There are no public right-to-know requirements for bottlers. | Water suppliers must issue consumer confidence reports annually. |
Expense | Costs $.80 to $4.00 per gallon. | Costs pennies a day. |
Nutrition | Natural minerals are removes by filtration. | Contains essential nutrients for the body such as calcium and iron. |
Bacteria | No disinfectant present to kill bacteria in bottles. | Chlorine residual in water to prevent bacteria growth. |