So, I have a good friend, someone who is such a good friend, that she will probably read this, and know she’s the subject matter for today’s post! But I felt it was worth talking about. She shall remain loved by me, but nameless…
This friend of mine DOES have a PUR2o drinking & cooking water system installed at home. She has a dedicated faucet on her sink providing Alkaline, Antioxidant, Ionized, Mineralized Water, packed with Hydrogen, Electrolytes and all the things we know are good for our body. The water, I might add, has NONE of the bad stuff including Chlorine, Heavy metals PFOS’ or PFAS’, agricultural, industrial and pharmaceutical contaminants. Safe to say, her water is “the BOMB!”
So why do I see her purchase crates of bottled water? And why, when she leaves the house to get the kids from school, or ride around the block on her bike, or walk the dog, does she have a plastic water bottle in her hand? Unfortunately, there is only one word to explain it.
Convenience.
So this blog is for her. I don’t believe in overspending and risking your health for an unnecessary convenience…as such, today I want to share with you what is in store-bought, commercial bottled water.
Where does it come from?
Did you know that most bottled water comes from local municipality tap water? If you did not, then pause a second and consider it. Where did you think they get it?
According to a research paper released by “Food and Water Watcher”, 64% of bottled water comes from municipal sources, plus… “It can cost nearly 2,000 times the price of tap water, three times the price for a gallon of milk and four times the price of a gallon of gasoline.1”
A large percentage of the rest comes from “spring water”. You can close your eyes and imagine a mountain spring, cool crisp water, fresh, hydrating… right? Okay, now let’s bump back down to the reality. Spring water is water filtered through the ground, and most of the time is extracted ground water, taken from aqua ducts, rivers, lakes and other ground resources.
If you don’t believe me, read up on the Poland Spring Lawsuit happening right now… (look for a follow-up BLOG on this very subject coming soon)
Also, it may surprise you to know that there are more relaxed regulations for Bottled Water than Tap Water! That is because the EPA regulates tap water federally, and the FDA regulates Bottled water at a state by state level. Bottlers must test their source water only once a year for chemical contaminants and once every four years for radiological contaminants. Inspections happen sporadically, on average, once every two or three years.
How is it cleaned/filtered?
Most bottled water comes from a water source that is municipal “tap” water, spring “ground” water, or well water. Then it gets filtered and/or purified so that it is clean and safe to drink.
Filtration is a physical process where particles are separated from a suspension. In terms of water, filtration can come in various forms in order to remove filter particles of various sizes. Some will remove large particles such as soil, sand, dirt, etc., while others are designed to remove smaller particles not visible with the naked eye, such as parasites, bacteria and chemicals.
Purified Water is water that has gone through the process of “Purification”. This means that it has gone through a process to remove everything, which will include all the “good stuff” and all the “bad stuff”. It has a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) reading of ZERO. Purification can be done through Distillation, De-ionization or De-mineralization as well as Carbon Filtration or Reverse Osmosis to name the most common processes.
Remember – if a TDS reading is ZERO, the water has no contaminants in it at all, but it also has none of those healthy Minerals in it either.
Even with Filtration or Purification, most bottled waters do not measure ZERO. They contain traces of Chlorine, added Salts, and sometimes low levels of other contaminants found in the original water source.
TDS is just parameter when it comes to testing water, including bottled water. Testing the pH is also important. Most bottled water will come in with a pH BELOW 7.0, which is neutral. Anything below 7.0 is Acidic. Acidic water is aggressive, corrosive and most importantly, diseases live and thrive in acidic environments.
Shelf life
Bottled water has a shelf life stamp on the bottles, usually 24 months when sealed, once opened, just a few hours. How it’s stored may also affect the shelf life. It must be kept it out of direct sunlight and in a cool space.
Most people store crates of water in a garage, but on hot days, the garage temperature goes up. This affects the shelf life of the water. Actually, this has little to do with the actual water, but instead the plastic bottle in which the water is stored as Polyethylene terephthalate or PET does have a shelf life. Certain storage conditions such as sunlight and temperature, being stored past the shelf life, as well as if the bottle gets dropped, can result in the plastic chemicals leeching into whatever liquid…water, soda, juice, any drink…inside.
Which leads us into the subject of… Microplastics
The Guardian says it best…and I quote: “The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water after a new analysis of some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands found that more than 90% contained tiny pieces of plastic…… In the new study, analysis of 259 bottles from 19 locations in nine countries across 11 different brands found an average of 325 plastic particles for every litre of water being sold. In one bottle of Nestlé Pure Life, concentrations were as high as 10,000 plastic pieces per litre of water.”
Here’s the million-dollar question then?
Why, when we know that bottled water is far from perfect, do we pay 2000 times the price for it? When I made the decision to install a water quality system in my home, I did it for the right reasons; my health, my family’s health, the health of the planet and to do our part protecting the environment, and also for peace of mind. Every time I see a news article, study or lawsuit come out about the quality of a particular water source, I get upset, yes, but I never worry that it is affecting my own family, because PUR2o keeps us protected. We don’t drink chlorine, or plastics, or contaminants, and we don’t spend money on bottled water either. We drink safe and healthy water… And we have never felt better.
So, next time you go to reach for a crate of plastic water bottles while doing your groceries, STOP. Take a moment to call us to come and install an at home water filtration system for you, and then head to the sports section and buy a reusable water bottle instead. Read our blog on what bottles to buy so you can be sure of what you and your family are drinking!
About PUR2o
We are striving to provide as many people as possible with filtered, purified, naturally alkaline and ionized water for drinking and cooking straight from the tap, for three reasons. We care about the health of YOU, the health of our PLANET and the health of your POCKET!
THE HEALTH OF YOU
Our goal is to provide as many people as possible with pure, crystal clear, safe & healthy water.
PUR2o Alkaline water is shown to benefit: Overall health and energy, weight management, muscle stimulation, brain power, digestive system, mood, body temperature, youthfulness, complexion, lifespan, and boosting your immune system.
THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET
We are also committed to creating a greater awareness of how plastic and plastic bottles are polluting our planet and our bodies by providing the best water out of your tap, eliminating the amount of plastic we dispose of and how much water we consume out of plastic bottles.
THE HEALTH OF YOUR POCKET
Aside from all the health benefits of Alkaline Water, you save a tremendous amount of money with our systems! Did you know?…. If you drink eight glasses of water each day, it will cost approximately $55 per year; vs $1,700 if you were to drink the same amount of bottled water instead. The PUR2o system pays for its self in only one year by one persons water consumption.