Information About Bottled and Tap Water
Do I need to buy bottled water ?
If your house is supplied with water treated by a water treatment plant here in Lake County, the answer is probably no, you do not need to buy bottled water. The water supplied to you by a water treatment plant is required to meet higher standards than bottled water and is generally monitored for quality more often.
Where do tap water and bottled water come from ?
Bottled water comes from the same types of water sources as municipal tap water; well water, surface water (lakes and rivers), and spring water. Often times, bottled water comes from a municipal water plant.
What are the benefits of bottled water ?
When a boil water order is issued by your water supplier, bottled water may serve a useful purpose. Even though bringing water to a rolling boil for more than three minutes will kill any bacteria in your water, some people find purchasing bottled water more convenient at these times.
Also, some people prefer the taste of bottled water. The taste of bottled water is largely due to the lack of chlorine in the water. Bottled water producers can not supply water with a chlorine residual because the chlorine concentration diminishes too quickly. Since there is no other acceptable disinfectant available to protect bottled water, the water goes unprotected and is prone to bacteriological regrowth.
I thought that bottled water was free of bacteria ?
In a 1990 study at the Iowa University Hygiene Laboratory1, coliform bacteria were found in some brands of bottled domestic purified water, bottled domestic mineral water, and imported mineral water. Municipal water supplies are not allowed to have any coliform bacteria in their drinking water. Additionally, 46% of the purified domestic bottled water tested contained more than 100 (CFU) heterotrophic bacteria per liter.
What are coliform and heterotrophic bacteria ?
Coliform bacteria are usually found in the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals. Therefore, if they are found in water they usually indicate that the water has been fecally contaminated and that other harmful organisms may exist in the water.
Heterotrophic bacteria are found in all water supplies. They come from a number of different places and are not necessarily harmful. They are a very general indicator of water quality.
Does bottled water protect me from exposure to cryptosporidium, giardia, and other pathogens ?
Not necessarily. Bottled water producers do not monitor their water for cryptosporidium. Drinking bottled water is not a guaranteed way to avoid drinking water exposure to cryptosporidium, giardia, and other pathogens. If your immune system is compromised, the only sure way to protect yourself is by boiling your water whether bottled or tap.
How often do bottled water producers and water plants monitor for bacteria in their water ?
At the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) we conduct an average of 12 bacteriological tests per day on our water as it leaves the plant. Bottled water producers are only required to monitor their water weekly.
Additionally, municipalities (like the communities that CLCJAWA serves) are required to monitor for bacteria at several locations in their service area. This provides the most accurate way to determine what people are actually consuming. Bottled water producers only monitor their water as it leaves their plant. They do not check it for bacteria after it sits in a delivery truck, in a warehouse, or on the store shelf.
Besides bacteria, what other contaminants are monitored in the water ?
Water plants are required to monitor water quality more often than bottled water plants.
At CLCJAWA for example, we monitor water quality in two ways; with computer driven instruments and by hand in the lab. One of the basic measurements used to monitor water quality is turbidity. Turbidity is the measure of suspended matter in the water. At CLCJAWA we monitor turbidity by computer every five seconds at 11 points in the purification process. This amounts to over 69 million measurements per year. Turbidity is also monitored in the lab every four hours for a total of 13,140 times per year. All lab work is conducted by personnel meeting specific qualifications specified by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Bottled water producers have no regulations regarding who conducts their water analyses; usually do not have a water quality laboratory; and consequently, do not normally monitor their water this vigorously.
Turbidity is just one example of how we measure water quality. Water treatment plants also routinely monitor their water for radionuclides, inorganic (over 30 elements including lead and copper), volatile organic (over 40 compounds), and synthetic organic compounds (over 45 compounds including pesticides and herbicides).
Who regulates and monitors water plants and bottled water producers ?
The Illinois EPA monitors the performance of Illinois water plants monthly. In addition, water plants must meet Federal regulations such as the Safe Drinking Water Act. Bottled water producers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a national level resulting in less stringent monitoring and regulatory control.
What are the benefits of tap water ?
- Disinfectant Residual
To protect water over time, water plants add a small amount of chlorine, usually less than 1 part per million. This chlorine residual protects it from any organisms that may enter the water after it leaves a water plant. Bottled water is unprotected since it does not contain a disinfectant residual like chlorine. Consequently, bottled water is prone to bacteriological regrowth.
- Fluoride
To help your family's teeth, fluoride is added to municipal water at a rate of approximately 1 part per million. The State of Illinois requires the addition of fluoride because numerous research studies have shown a reduction in tooth decay in people who consume optimally fluoridated water. Bottled water producers typically remove fluoride from their bottled water.
- Price
The price of tap water is a bargain compared to bottled water. Again, bottled waters are not necessarily any better than the cool, safe, and plentiful tap water delivered everyday, 24 hours a day to you home.
If you have any questions about your tap water call your local water plant and talk to them. If you would like to see your local water plant, call them up and request a tour. We welcome your questions and invite you to visit our facilities on scheduled tour days. Give us a call at 295-7788.
At CLCJAWA we feel extremely confident in the quality water we produce. Knowledge of drinking water facts will help you feel more confident in your tap water.
1. G. Breuer, L. Friell, N. Moyer, and G. Ronald, Testing of Bottled Waters Sold in Iowa, A Report from the University Hygiene Laboratory, No.91-1, Aug. 30, 1990
11/28/2006