Bottled Water vs Filtered Water

The quest for clean water can be confusing. With our modern understanding of how important clean water is to health, it’s good to know the details of what we’re drinking every day.

What’s the difference between tap water vs filtered water?

Is there an advantage to buying water vs filtering? Before we address these critical questions, let’s run down exactly what each category describes.

The Water Categories

Tap water is something that every American is lucky enough to know about. When you turn a handle mounted on a spigot in your house, water spills out.

This water comes from city water supplies that are typically well-regulated and filtered at the source.

However, due to old infrastructure and unforeseen contaminants, tap water can be problematic for your health.

Bottled water supposedly comes from pure sources in Alpine ranges or on volcanoes in the middle of the sea.

However, as we’ll discuss, there are significant problems with the idea that bottled water is good for your health. They range from economic problems that everyone should be immediately aware of to environmental problems that can continue to impact our planet for generations.

What is filtered water? Filtered water comes from the tap, but it goes through a rigorous cleaning process before you have a chance to drink it. High Water Standard can help you with water filter system installation in NYC and North New Jersey.

This means that contaminants such as lead and arsenic, as well as pathogens, are removed.

Filtration is inexpensive compared to bottled water and improves the taste and safety of tap water significantly.

The Problem with Tap Water

Tap water, as you might suspect, can be problematic. Most cities and towns pour a lot of money into making tap water safe to drink and use.

However, there have been disturbing instances of dangerous water in the news recently. Either because of legacy systems, cost cutting, or environmental problems, it’s not always the best idea to drink whatever comes out of the tap.

From toxic algae blooms in municipal water sources to lead in the water of Flint, Michigan, bottled water often seems safer. However, is bottled water actually a good solution to bad tap water?

There are other solutions to this problem. Water filtration, in particular, is one of these. Many people balk at the up-front cost of filtering water, but remember, bottled water often costs per bottle or by the pack.

Maybe it comes out of vending machines, maybe you buy it at a large food wholesaler, either way, there are costs there too, and they may be even more of an issue.

What is filtered water? Filtered water comes from the tap, but it goes through a rigorous cleaning process before you have a chance to drink it. This means that contaminants such as lead and arsenic, as well as pathogens, are removed. Filtration is inexpensive compared to bottled water and improves the taste and safety of tap water significantly.

Filtered water and bottled water are both supposed to be healthier than tap water, and in a lot of places even in the U.S., that’s probably the case. But one has got to be a better option. In a showdown between bottled water vs filtered water, who would win?

The Bottle Vs Filtered Matchup

There are a lot of reasons that people might consider bottled water a better option at first glance. Wrapped in plastic, it certainly looks sterile and safe.

The marketing for bottled water evokes pristine wilderness and refreshing waterfalls, and that advertising is very effective.

Consumption of bottled water worldwide is on the rise, and nowhere is bottled water more popular than in the U.S.

Sometimes, such as in emergencies, there’s no question that bottled water is a lifesaver. Many people also claim that they prefer the taste of bottled over tap water.

However, the reasons that prove filtered is just better for most people most of the time often dwarf all of the reasons to drink bottled water.

In fact, the benefits of filtered water aren’t limited to just the person drinking it. Water filtration can save the entire ecosystem. It can start with one reusable filter water bottle refillable from a potentially contaminated source.

As we’ll discuss later on, carbon filters remove contaminants very efficiently, and their maintenance is nothing compared to the financial – and ecological – price of drinking bottled.

Plastic Footprint

If you’re a drinker of bottled water now, then hopefully you’re a recycler, too. Recycling plastic water bottles can reduce the impact of the millions and millions of bottles that still turn up as litter and in the trash.

However, recycling just isn’t enough.

Just manufacturing a plastic bottle requires energy. According to The Pacific Institute, the creation of one ton of PET plastic, which is made into water bottles, releases three tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

That doesn’t count all the distribution costs of water bottles and the energy needed to keep them cold, which is how most Americans prefer to consume them.

When you add up the carbon footprint of bottled water consumption, it exceeds 2.5 tons of CO2 in our already-burdened atmosphere.

Weirdly, bottling water also requires water. Manufacturing a single one-liter plastic water bottle requires three additional liters that you never have the chance to drink.

On top of that, most Americans just don’t recycle their plastic water bottles. Those that do feed a recycling system that still runs primarily on fossil fuels.

Even doing the right thing by a plastic bottle releases yet more CO2 into the air. Wouldn’t it be better to never buy the bottle in the first place?

What do they offer but convenience, and what has convenience ever done for us except mess up our environment? Even pure filtered water brands have a lot of mess to answer for.

Everyone Pays More for Bottled

It’s true that bottled water can be a huge help in parts of the world where the water is dangerous to drink. Take Fiji, for example. Not the bottled water brand – the country where that water is bottled, where over half of the residents don’t have safe drinking water in or near their homes.

Suffice to say that the company that bottles the good water and ships it to foreign lands is happy to sell it back to the people who don’t have an opportunity to experience it firsthand. What an unfortunate solution!

In fact, the benefits of filtered water aren’t limited to just the person drinking it. Water filtration can save the entire ecosystem. It can start with one reusable filter water bottle refillable from a potentially contaminated source.

On the other hand, a simple water filter can hydrate 100 people for five years, and the only thing about it that needs regular replacements is the filter.

Once again, filtered water demonstrates its versatility and usefulness.

Bottled water is certainly making money for someone. Bottled water is a $22 billion per year industry.

For all that money, you’d think they’d be interested in funding a filtration system or two for people who might want to drink locally, or, for that matter, to drink affordably.

The Cost of Bottled Water

Bottled water is 590 times more expensive than tap water. In 2008, the very cheapest bottled water in California cost $0.90 per gallon.

A 700 ml of artisanal bottled water costs more than that – $1.79, as a matter of fact, which puts its price at $5.35 per gallon.

By contrast, tap water costs about a tenth of a cent per gallon.

Obviously, there are a lot of places in the world where this kind of drinking just wouldn’t be financially possible.

However, even in New York City, plenty of us 57-gallon-per-year water drinkers don’t have a spare $308 to spend on individual bottles of artisanal water.

When you think about the fact that, in many places around the world, people that are desperate for safe water pay through the nose for something so basic and important to life, it makes you wonder about the ethics of the bottled water industry.

The Cost of Filtered Water

So how much does a filtration system cost in comparison? Let’s do some math.

A top-of-the-line, custom filtration system can set you back about $600.

An advanced filtration system may need its filters changed once per year. Let’s budget $120 for that. If you have your top-of-the-line water filtration system for ten years, it’ll cost you a total of $12,600.

The average American drinks about 2.5 cups of water per day – in other words, about 57 gallons per year and 570 gallons over ten years.

Your total bill per gallon comes out to about $0.22 per gallon.

Compare that price to $0.90 for a gallon of the cheapest bottled water you can buy.

Your total bill per gallon comes out to about $0.22 per gallon. Compare that price to $0.90 for a gallon of the cheapest bottled water you can buy.

Twenty-two cents is a small price to pay for the improved quality of filtered water compared to tap.

Since bottled water usually isn’t much better than what comes out of the faucet, $0.22 per gallon is a steal.

Bottled Water Isn’t Necessarily Safer

Maybe we should rewind a sentence and address the elephant in the room: bottled water usually isn’t much better than what comes out of the tap.

Does that sound incredible? Don’t take my word for it.

The World Wildlife Fund has found that regulations on bottled water are usually even less stringent than regulations on tap water.

Even if the source of the bottled water is clean and safe, remember that the water in question is being bottled in plastic.

Even today, when BPA has largely been removed from plastic food containers, there are other potentially chemicals involved in the creation of plastic.

Additionally, according to the World Health Organization, microplastics saturate bottled water.

These are tiny fibers made of plastic that could potentially cause all kinds of health and environmental problems. Why expose yourself to that?

Filtration systems may vary in their strategies and types, but according to the EPA, a reverse osmosis unit removes all chemical and biological contaminants from water very effectively.

This fact makes these units a good mineral water filter.

Filtered Water Beats Bottled Water in Terms of Taste

That brings us to the final problem with bottled water: the idea that it tastes better than filtered. The reason for the difference is simple, and it has to do with water safety.

Municipalities add a tiny amount of chlorine to their water to kill any harmful bacteria that might be hiding out in it. This is good: it prevents widespread waterborne illnesses, like cholera, from becoming commonplace.

However, chlorine tastes pretty foul, and in fact, it’s one of the main components in bleach.

Bottled, on the other hand, is supposed to be single-source water bubbling directly up from streams high in the mountains. It doesn’t need to be chlorinated. That’s why it seems to taste better.

So, how can people enjoy homemade filtered water vs spring water? Here’s where filtration makes all the difference once again. In blind taste tests, most people actually prefer the taste of filtered tap water to the most expensive bottled brands.

Reverse osmosis systems remove chlorine and pretty much everything else from your water, and carbon filters are very effective, too.

Why pay through the nose for “healthy” water when you can generate your own?

That’s one reason why refillable water bottles are such a good deal. They can be filled from any source that you know to be safe, and if the bottle itself contains a filtration system, you can drink from anywhere.

However, be sure that your source is safe. There’s a difference between a water dispenser and a water purifier: A water dispenser just gives you untreated water while a water purifier cleans it first. You’ll know by the taste.

That brings us to the better option: water filtration.

Depending on what avenue you want to pursue, your options range in price and specifics.

Filtering Your Water

We’ve seen that water filtration makes economic sense, even if you go with a high-end option.

It’s certainly more ethical than the shockingly excessive bottled water industry, and the taste is just as good or better. So why not filter? Here are a few of your options.

Distillation Systems

Distillation systems boil water and then collect the condensation, killing microbes and filtering out minerals.

Some people wonder if filtered water is the same as distilled water.

Not really: when water goes through a filter, the filter performs a physical process that screens out contaminants.

Distillation uses energy to enact a chemical change on the water – in other words, it boils the water, lets it evaporate, and collects the condensation.

The difference between distilled and filtered water is that distilled water may retain some chemicals but lacks minerals that don’t evaporate and any pathogens.

So, how can people enjoy homemade filtered water vs spring water? Here’s where filtration makes all the difference once again. In blind taste tests, most people actually prefer the taste of filtered tap water to the most expensive bottled brands.

That’s why filtration experts often sell distillation systems too, and most are happy to explain what filtered water is vs distilled.

Keep in mind that distillation leaves chemicals in your water if those chemicals can also evaporate – they’ll just re-condense along with the water.

Gasoline is a good example. If that’s in your water, it’ll just turn to vapor and condense, ending up right back in your drinking supply.

However, if your main water problem is with metals such as arsenic, then distillation can be a good option, since arsenic and lead don’t evaporate.

Carbon Filters

Carbon has been used as a filtration system ever since ancient Romans dropped pieces of burnt toast into their wine.

The carbon on the toast counteracted acidic elements in the drink. That’s why we drink “a toast.”

Carbon, also called activated charcoal, loves to bind to toxins. While a piece of toast probably doesn’t have enough carbon on it to make your drinking water 100% safe, modern charcoal filters combine the best in filtration with, often, unmatchable portability.

A charcoal filter can fit into a special reusable water bottle, allowing you to fill up and filter wherever you happen to be.

Certain water pitchers come equipped with charcoal filters as well. They’re extremely effective. However, those filters wear out quite rapidly and need to be replaced every three months or so.

That means a long-term cost and no forgetting – if you do, you may as well be drinking straight from the tap.

That said, if you rent, carbon filtration is a great option. At $20 for a filter pitcher and under $5 per replacement, even this system costs a mere $80 per year.

Compare that to the hundreds of dollars you’ll spend on bottled water for yourself and your family.

Even though filter changes do create waste, they don’t hold a candle to what the bottled water industry pours into the environment every year.

There are also recycling programs for these filters, often through the companies that provide them.

Reverse Osmosis Filters

The undisputed king of filters is the reverse osmosis system. The science behind this filtration technique is truly space-age. It combines salt water chemistry with advanced physical filtration.

The result is water so safe and pleasant to drink that you’ll never go back to bottled water.

If you’ve got complicated chemical problems with your water, reverse osmosis may be the way to go.

Even though they’re usually the most expensive filtration option, they’re still worth it in comparison to bottled water.

That’s why businesses particularly like this solution. It’s very cost-effective if you know that you won’t be moving.

As for apartment-dwellers, well, now might be a good time to petition the landlord.

There’s no question about filtration being a better option than bottled water.

An advanced filtration system may need its filters changed once per year. Let’s budget $120 for that. If you have your top-of-the-line water filtration system for ten years, it’ll cost you a total of $12,600. The average American drinks about 2.5 cups of water per day – in other words, about 57 gallons per year and 570 gallons over ten years. Your total bill per gallon comes out to about $0.22 per gallon. Compare that price to $0.90 for a gallon of the cheapest bottled water you can buy.

Filtration is scalable in cost and easy to use. You can take it with you or install it in your home and experience clean water directly from your tap.

The money it can save you on bottled water pales in comparison to the health benefits you’ll experience as a result of avoiding both the toxins present in tap water and the microplastics in bottled.

When you’re talking about your health, isn’t it worthwhile to pay attention to what you put into your glass?