Would you be considered picky if you preferred bottled water over tap water? Well, I guess I’m a picky drinker. Tap water could be considered more convenient, but is that worth sacrificing your taste buds? Bottled water provides a quick and easy source of water for anyone and is safer than tap water.

Tap water often has a metallic taste to it due to the lack of filtration. The Environmental Protection Agency takes specific measures to make sure the water that is used is filtered properly. Methods like source protections, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, distillation, micron filtration and ozonation are used to ensure that the water is fresh.

Because of the places drinking water is siphoned from, it can often have unprecedented consequences. Natural springs and aquifers, although largely pure, can be contaminated and become unsafe quickly. 

There are also significant safety risks involved in using tap water In 2014, Michigan’s decision to switch the source of their water supply became detrimental. Residents of Flint suffered from skin rashes, hair loss, and itchy skin all because of inadequate treatment and testing of the water going into residents’ homes.

The savior of all of these people’s crisis was bottled water. Bottled water provided a way for people to avoid lead poisoning. Among the pictures taken during this crisis, one was of a family preparing their meal using a bottle of water.

Plastic emissions are a huge concern for those of us who care about the environment, but what is not being considered is that the plastic emissions are the fault of the user. There are plenty of alternatives to plastic bottles, but they are expensive and often inconvenient. It is not a matter of the plastic being used, but where the plastic is going afterwards. 

Countries like Japan have taken huge recycling efforts and they have some of the lowest emissions in the world. According to a study done in 2004, Japan was able to recycle 50% of their solid waste compared to the U.S with 30%.

Plastic bottles are consistent and, if recycled properly, are not destructive to the environment. Of course this dispute is up to preference, but endangering your tastebuds and possibly your health is not worth the risk.

While my co-writer is talking about the benefits of bottled water and the faults of tap water, I would like the readers to remember the benefits to the true winner of this argument. Tap water is not to be degraded down to its “mineral taste” or its other unseen benefits. Tap water is superior due to its environmental issues and its convenience to the average American.

Environmental concern is a big factor in the superiority of tap water. Bottled water bottles are a major source of pollution in the ocean and in the air. Tap water provides a more environmentally friendly way to get a glass of water

According to Office H20, the water bottles that wash up into the ocean end up killing 1.1 million marine animals every year. The production of these bottles also contribute 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year. Another environmental concern is the serious damage in landfills due to the 38 billion bottles laying in landfills all over the country. 

Tap water is better than bottled water for many reasons but one is the convenience. The number of bottles of water are limited in a household, but your sink is always available for a nice cold drink of water any time of day.

The average pack of water bottles costs about $3 dollars at your local Walmart. This specific pack has 24 single-use bottles in it. The average water bill in Georgia is about $29 a month, this includes drinking, bathing, and washing anything in your house. 

When we compare these two types of water it is clear to see which has a better impact on the average consumer’s wallet. Spending an extra $3 every week just because someone prefers drinking bottled water is not the best option economically. If someone were to follow this plan for a full year, they would spend an extra $152 dollars and contribute 1,248 new plastic bottles into landfills annually. 

Another point that is often brought up is the minerals in tap water. There is an easy and more cost-efficient solution to this problem. Instead of buying bottled water, the purchase of a Brita Water filter could help a user be satisfied with the purity of the water they are drinking from their tap. 

An average-sized Brita Water filter purifies the water put in it for about $27 dollars on Amazon. This investment does not account for the changing of filters, but they only need to be changed every 40 gallons filtered. In the long run, it is a better investment for the average consumer’s wallet and the environment. 

Tap water is superior because it is better for the environment, and it is better for your wallet. There are ways to purify it to meet every person’s needs, so everyone needs to drink from the sink.