Next time someone brags about drinking only the “purest” bottled water, they might want to check the label first. Nearly 64% of bottled water sold in America comes straight from municipal tap water systems – the same water flowing from kitchen faucets across the country. This means millions of people pay premium prices for water they could get for free at home.
Dasani and other major brands source from tap water
Some of the biggest names in bottled water don’t hide the fact that they use municipal water supplies. Dasani openly sources its water from tap systems in California, Minnesota, Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan. The company processes this tap water through filtration systems before bottling it, but the original source remains the same water that flows through city pipes.
Lifewtr follows a similar approach, using municipal water as its base. Nestle Pure Life combines both well water and municipal sources for its products. Even Kirkland bottled water from Costco uses tap water alongside well and spring sources. These companies aren’t trying to deceive customers – they’re simply using readily available water sources and applying their own treatment processes.
Enhanced waters still start with tap water
Many “enhanced” water brands that advertise added electrolytes or special properties also begin with municipal tap water. Propel and Essentia both use tap water as their foundation, then add minerals and electrolytes to create their final products. These additions change the taste and marketing appeal, but don’t change the fact that the base water comes from the same sources as regular tap water.
The enhancement process involves adding back minerals that may have been removed during filtration, or introducing new compounds designed to improve taste or provide supposed performance benefits. While these additions do change the final product, consumers often don’t realize they’re paying significantly more for water that started from a municipal supply. The marketing focuses on the enhancements rather than the original water source.
Walmart and Giant store brands showed high contamination
An Environmental Working Group study found troubling results when testing popular bottled water brands. Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant Food’s Acadia brands contained particularly high levels of various contaminants. Sam’s Choice actually exceeded California’s bottled water quality standards for certain contaminants, raising questions about quality control in store-brand bottled waters.
The study tested 10 popular brands and found an average of 8 different contaminants in each one. These included unexpected substances like caffeine, acetaminophen, fertilizers, solvents, and plastic-derived chemicals. The presence of these contaminants suggests that even processed and filtered bottled water isn’t necessarily cleaner than what comes from the tap.
Most brands hide their water sources
The majority of bottled water companies don’t clearly disclose where their water originates on product labels. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for consumers to know whether they’re buying spring water, well water, or processed tap water. Companies aren’t required to provide detailed source information, leaving customers guessing about what they’re actually purchasing.
In 2011, only three brands earned top marks for transparency: Gerber Pure Purified Water, Nestle Pure Life Purified Water, and Penta Ultra-Purified Water. These companies provided clear information about water sources, treatment methods, and quality testing results. The vast majority of other brands failed to meet these basic transparency standards, keeping consumers in the dark about their products.
Bottled water faces fewer regulations than tap water
Contrary to popular belief, bottled water isn’t subject to stricter safety standards than tap water. The FDA regulates bottled water, but these regulations don’t require it to be safer than municipal water supplies. Meanwhile, the EPA strictly regulates tap water under the Safe Drinking Water Act, subjecting it to more rigorous testing and monitoring requirements.
Municipal water systems must regularly test for contaminants and publish annual water quality reports for public review. Bottled water companies face no such requirements for public disclosure. This regulatory gap means that tap water often undergoes more scrutiny and testing than the bottled alternatives that cost significantly more money. The perception of bottled water as safer largely comes from marketing rather than actual regulatory oversight.
Microplastics show up in most bottled water
A global study by Orb Media revealed that 93% of bottled water samples contained microplastic particles. These tiny plastic pieces can come from the bottles themselves, caps, or the bottling process. The presence of microplastics in nearly all tested samples raises questions about the purity claims made by bottled water manufacturers.
The microplastic contamination affects both premium and budget brands equally, suggesting that higher prices don’t guarantee cleaner water. These particles originate from the packaging materials and manufacturing processes, meaning even brands that start with clean water sources can end up with plastic contamination by the time they reach consumers. The issue affects the entire bottled water industry regardless of water source or brand reputation.
Taste tests reveal surprising winners
Professional taste tests often produce unexpected results when comparing bottled water brands. Path Water topped one comprehensive taste test of 22 brands, praised for its pure and crisp taste. Meanwhile, popular brands like Dasani ranked poorly due to metallic aftertastes, and Fiji received criticism for chemical-like notes that surprised many loyal customers.
Expensive doesn’t always mean better when it comes to bottled water taste. Voss, despite its premium pricing and sleek packaging, performed poorly in blind taste tests compared to much cheaper alternatives. Store brands like 365 Naturally Alkaline Spring Water from Whole Foods scored higher than many national brands while costing significantly less per bottle.
Packaging affects water quality more than expected
The type of container used for bottled water can significantly impact taste and quality. Aluminum bottles and cans sometimes impart metallic notes to the water, while certain plastics can create chemical aftertastes. Glass bottles generally preserve taste best, but few companies use glass due to weight and cost considerations.
Paper-based packaging has emerged as an alternative, with brands like Flow using plant-based materials for their containers. These innovative packages don’t affect water taste as much as expected, though they’re still relatively uncommon in the market. The packaging choice often matters more for final taste than the original water source, which explains why some tap-water-based brands can taste better than expensive spring waters in poor containers.
Simple filtration makes tap water competitive
Home water filtration systems can transform regular tap water into something that rivals or exceeds bottled water quality. Basic carbon filters remove chlorine taste and odor, while more advanced systems can eliminate a wide range of contaminants. The investment in a good filter system pays for itself quickly compared to buying bottled water regularly.
Many bottled water companies use similar filtration processes to what consumers can install at home. Reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, and ozonation are common treatment methods available for home use. When combined with a reusable bottle, filtered tap water provides the convenience and taste of bottled water without the ongoing expense or packaging waste. The quality often matches or surpasses what’s available in stores.
The bottled water industry’s reliance on municipal tap water sources reveals that consumers often pay premium prices for something very similar to what flows from their faucets. While treatment and filtration do improve water quality, the same improvements can typically be achieved at home for a fraction of the cost. Understanding these realities helps people make more informed decisions about their water choices and spending.
