Waste: It is estimated that annually 22 billion empty plastic bottles are thrown in the trash in the United States. Can you imagine what would happen to our planet if we don’t cut down on all that plastic waste?
Save money: Tap water is just as a clean and safe to drink as bottled water, and it is free. Think of it this way – before plastic bottles were invented, people did not die of thirst. The only investment you may wish to make is (1) filtration system for your faucet and (2) safe reusable water bottle.
- To further minimize lead concentration in your tap water, before using it for drinking and cooking, run the cold water for a minute until it is as cold as it can get. This will flush out the water that has been sitting around for awhile so lead concentration won't be as high (the longer that water sits in pipes, the greater the exposure to lead). Also, use only cold water for drinking and cooking since hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water.
- If you are still concerned, call your local water utility company to find out contamination levels at your water source. The Environmental Protection Agency tests for 84 different contaminants, including the carcinogenic trihalomethane chlorine by-products. Compare your local contamination levels to national standards by calling the U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
For more information, check out Take Back the Tap campaign launched by a non-profit Food and Water Watch. Another website with a wealth of information is Filter for Good.
See this article on How to Choose a Water Bottle, and here are some suggestions on reusable bottles:
- Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. Both me and my fiance have Kleen Kanteen bottles, we absolutely love them!
- Sigg water bottles
- Nalgene bottles
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