Bottled Water vs Tap Water: Is bottled water bad? - Behind the News

Is bottled water better than tap water?
Safe drinking water is virtually free here in Australia. We can get it from the tap at home or just from public drinking fountains. So why do so many people choose to pay for water instead?
It's something that's been puzzling experts for a while. Because as far as tap water goes we've got some of the cleanest in the world. That's because it's constantly being tested for things like bacteria as well as other nasty stuff. And because the water is constantly being tested we're able to detect any contamination really quickly. Oh, and in most parts of Australia tap water has even got added fluoride, which is good for your teeth.
When you compare our tap water to other countries we're pretty lucky. According to UNICEF more than a quarter of the world's population don't have access to clean water. And in some places people can get really sick if they drink it. But despite Aussies having much better access to the good stuff, we still spend around 700 million dollars on the bottled stuff every year.
Of course, there are some benefits to bottled water. It can be brought in to help out in emergencies when there isn't access to clean water. For a lot of people bottled water is a convenient and healthy option when you're on the go. And there are also people who reckon they prefer the taste of bottled water or feel it must be better for you.
But most experts disagree. They say that a lot of those beliefs come from the way companies market bottled water. By using words like "pure" or "natural" it can make people think that bottled water tastes better or is better for you. But, recently the ABC's War on Waste found there really wasn't much difference between the two. And a blind tasting done in South Australia found that most people couldn't actually tell the difference between tap and bottle without the packaging. And that packaging is the worst part. Because all up 800 million plastic water bottles end up in landfill every year. Experts say this could easily be reduced. And the best way to do that? Just bring some from home.
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