After my water filter broke on yesterday I was going to but a new one, but then I got to thinking, "Do a really need a new water filter?" I guess the decision lands on how well do I feel about the water that's coming from the tap. The tape water in my apartment is clean, doesn't taste funny, and it has not smell. In fact the complex just replaced all the pipes to the buildings in the complex, and things seem to be good.

But do I still need that new filter or should I get a case of bottled water for drinking. That is the question. I guess I have become a water snob to some degree, but I will drink tap water at a restaurant instead of asking for a bottled water.

What do you prefer or drink bottle or tap water?



Which Is Better: Bottled or Tap Water?
Why is one simple question about water so hard to answer?
BY MARKHAM HEID, JANUARY 17, 2014

http://www.menshealth.com/health/which-better-bottled-or-tap-water?cid=isynd_PV_0115

If you still pause at a waiter’s first question—“Is tap water okay?”—you’re not alone. Compared to the previous year, fewer Americans made the switch from bottled to tap water in 2010, according to the most recent data on the topic in a Harris Interactive Poll.

Most of the time, tap water is just as safe as bottled water, says Mae Wu, an attorney with the National Resources Defense Council who also works for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Thanks to the rigorous standards imposed on tap water by public health organizations, bottled water is not necessarily any safer or cleaner than tap under normal circumstances. And the stuff out of the faucet comes without the added cost and waste buildup associated with bottled water, Wu says. In fact, one report from the non-profit Environmental Working Groupfound contamination levels in store-bought water that violated public water safety standards.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drink Poland Springs. Despite those few anecdotal reports, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations governing the quality of bottled water are “at least as stringent” as the EPA standards for tap water, explains Stephen Edberg, Ph.D., a professor of chemical engineering at Yale University.

But bottles can be costly—for you and the environment—so here are three ways to make sure your tap water is up to par.

CONSIDER YOUR ZIP CODE

If you live in a rural farming community, there’s a greater likelihood of contamination from pesticide runoff, Wu explains. To protect yourself, ask your local water authority to come test your water—a service they’ll likely perform for free, she says. The EPA’s website also offers water-monitoring resources. Big-city dwellers, you’re in luck: Wu says New York and San Francisco, among many other metropolises, have some of the cleanest water in the country.

FIND OUT WHERE YOUR TAP DRAWS FROM

If your water is from a private well—which isn’t regulated—you could be at risk for chlorine and other volatile organic chemicals, Wu says. Or, if your home was built before the 1970s, it may house older lead-lined pipes, which could also throw off your water. In both cases, have your H2O tested, Wu advises. (If you own your home, you likely know where you water comes from. If you rent, ask your landlord.)

CONSIDER A FILTER

If your water turns out to be contaminated, Wu says a filter from makers like ZeroWater or Brita will safeguard your supply for a fraction of the cost of bottled options. Your water report will highlight potential health risks, which—for the most part—can be fixed with a filter. Shop for one that specifically targets the contaminants in your H2O, she suggests. All filter makers list the contaminants their products remove. Remember, many bottled waters—Dasani and Aquafina, for example—are just filtered tap water. By filtering it yourself, you’re saving money, Wu says.

IN SOME SITUATIONS, BOTTLED IS BEST
"People receiving cancer chemotherapy—or those on medications for arthritis, HIV, and other conditions resulting in immunosuppression—are highly susceptible to even small amounts of some water contaminants," Edberg says. Share your water report with your doctor, and if he suggests sticking to bottled, don't assume a filter will offer you the same protections.




http://www.bottledwater.org/health/bottled-water-vs-tap-water

Get the Facts
The 2011Drinking Water Research Foundation (DWRF) report “Bottled Water and Tap Water: Just the Facts” provides a detailed comparison of quality and monitoring regulations for tap water and bottled water.

Differences in the regulation of tap water and bottled water, though minimal, highlight the differences between drinking water delivered by a public water system and drinking water delivered to the consumer in a sealed container.

Public water systems (tap water) provide quality water for human consumption and other uses (e.g., washing clothes, bathing, and industrial and commercial uses) through a piped distribution system to specific communities. Public water systems are granted exclusive rights to provide water to consumers in a particular geographic or municipal area. Consumers do not, therefore, have a choice of which public water system will provide water to their homes or businesses.

Bottled water is a packaged food product sold in individual, sanitary, sealed containers. It is intended solely for human consumption. Consumers have a variety of bottled water choices available to satisfy their particular tastes and price preferences. It is sold in many different package sizes, including 3- and 5-gallon containers used in bottled water coolers, 2.5-gallon refrigerator-size containers, and “on-the go” half-liter, one-liter, and 1.5 liter convenience–size packages. Consumers choose bottled water for several reasons: taste, quality, and convenience.

Poll result (34 votes) Tap Water (15 votes) Vote Bottle Water (4 votes) Vote *TAP - Filtered water at Home. (15 votes) Vote