“Tapped”: The Reality of Bottled Water

Do you drink bottled water? Do you know what’s in it and where it’s really from?

There are local issues to tap water, depending on where you live. However, the pros of drinking tap water in B.C. outweigh the cons to drinking bottled water

Healthy Prevention: Typical bottled water products come packaged in plastic – made from oil. Plastic, over time, leaches into the water. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an additional factor to consider. Check the bottom of those bottles… can’t find a numeric code/rating? As of October 17, 2008, Health Canada “prohibit[s] the importation, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles that contain bisphenol A (BPA). The Government will also take action to limit the amount of bisphenol A that is being released into the environment”. Municipal water in Metro Vancouver, for example, is subject to frequent and detailed testing.

Energy Conservation, Reduction of Carbon Emissions: A lot of bottled water is sourced from and packaged by other countries, transported by ships and/or trucks to B.C. That’s a waste of oil with unnecessary carbon emissions. Metro Vancouverites, in particular, have an abundance of good, clean water that they are already paying for through taxes at minimal impact on the environment.

Integrity of Water Supply: “Bottled water is regulated, much less tightly, under the federal Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations,” according to an article published by Envirolaw.com. “The source of the water need not be disclosed, unless it is labelled as “spring” or “mineral” water… In its 2008 Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, the World Health Organization noted that bottled water may contain glass and water bits.”

‘Tapped – The Movie‘, by Atlas Films, exposes the billion dollar bottled water industry’s contribution to global warming, resource depletion, and waste. It raises a critical question: Is clean drinking water a basic human right or a commodity that should be bought and sold? The producers of ‘Who Killed the Electric Car?‘ takes us on a “behind-the-scenes look in the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water”.

The documentary just started premiering in U.S. theatres. The schedule for its debut in Canada is unknown to-date.

You can watch the full movie below::

Still don’t believe it?

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in the U.S. reports that:

“Food and Drug Administration is responsible for bottled water safety, but the FDA’s rules completely exempt waters that are packaged and sold within the same state, which account for up to 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States (roughly one of every five states don’t regulate these waters either). Even the bottled water that is tested is exempt from many of the standards and testing requirements that apply to tap water. For example, while EPA’s rules clearly prohibit tap water from containing any confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform (yes – that’s bacteria that indicates possible fecal contamination), the FDA allows fecal coliform–up to a certain level.”

Some of the bottled water is sourced from and produced in the U.S., so it’s safe, right?

Think again. If you missed it, watch the 2008 documentary, ‘Flow‘ by Irina Salina, and be aware of the integrity of the source of bottled water and the effect of this industry on communities, even in the backyards of towns and cities in the U.S. If you’ve already seen it, you’ve probably already stopped drinking bottled water. If you haven’t, you’ll have second thoughts on buying that next bottle or case.

Watch the trailer below:

The DVD is currently available for rental at local video rental shops such as Black Dog Video in Vancouver.