 |
February 10, 2012
 |
Nutrition Article
BOTTLED WATER
|
In NUTRITION, baby boomers receive healthy eating tips from health reporters and dietitians, many of whom are boomers, too.  Judy Swancutt Registered Dietitian |
 |
(50PlusPrime) SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN --
Bottled water sales have increased dramatically in the last couple of years fueled, in part, by health concerns for adequate hydration and also by the publics concern about the quality of tap water. Expectations are that bottled water is better than the water that comes from the tap.The pictures of glaciers or crystal clear mountain springs fuel that expectation by giving the illusion of the water being "super" pure. People now buy water by the case. However, a recent study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Counsel (NRDC) concluded that most bottled waters are safe and usually of high quality but not any better than the municipal water that comes from the tap.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water and the standards of testing are set by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) pf 1974 and updated as recently as 1996. This gives the EPA standards to effect control on public water and mandates the testing of the water for over 74 different contaminants. These standards are high.
The Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) considers bottled water to be a food and therefore provides the regulations that it be processed, bottled, held and transported under sanitary conditions. However FDA regulations only apply to water that crosses state lines and does not apply to water packaged and sold within the state. Often there are state regulations in place but one in five states do not regulate the water bottled in the state. The International Bottled Water Association does have regulations and standards for a self-policing effort to ensure the safety of all bottled water. There has been no outbreak of food poisoning attributed to bottled water.
Bottled water can come from a variety of sources such as wells, protected springs and in many cases the municipal water supply. In fact the spring water does not have to come from a spring but can be pumped to the surface and the picture on the bottle does not have to be the source of the water. The FDA regulations for bottled water and the EPA regulations for public water supply are similar often with the public water systems control standards being more specific and allowing for a lower level of containments than the FDA standards. (There usually is no fluoride in bottled water)
There are many reasons for using bottled water. Convenience, taste and color are also high on the list. Hydration is important and if purchasing water can increase the amount of non-sugared beverage consumed, it is good thing.
