Is Bottled Water Better? Bottled water has become big business over the past 10 years and the number of people choosing it over tap water is growing at incredible rates.  Is bottled water better than tap?  The answer is yes for a number of reasons.  In addition to drinking water that has been purified, bottled water also has a cleaner, crisper taste, leaving people feeling refreshed and satisfied. Today, grocery stores, gas stations, retail stores, etc carry some type of bottled water. In some cases, the bottle water sold is simply water whereas as sometimes it is flavored.   Regardless, the bottled water industry has been fueled by the desire of consumers to have an affordable way to enjoy healthy, clean water.  This industry has become so huge that all types of companies are trying to get a piece of the market to include Clorox, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi just to name a few. Under each company, bottled water is known as a brand name.  For example, Coca-Cola offers the public Dasani while Pepsi’s version is Aquafina.  Is bottled water better between one company and another?  The answer to this is probably.  Keep in mind that when shopping for bottled water, you need to pay close attention to the labeling.  Some versions of bottled water are filtered, some purified, and others mineral, each a little different. From a consumers’ viewpoint to the question, “Is bottled water better than tap”, we see literally millions of people buying it every week.  With promotions that include names such as “sparkling mineral water”, “spring water”, and others, the interest in bottled water is even greater.  For price, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1 to $4 a gallon for bottled water delivered or around $4 for a six-pack in the store.  Okay, for the cost, is bottled water better and worth paying this money? Well, one of the challenges is that knowing the actual quality of the bottled water purchases is difficult to determine.  Again, you have to be careful with labeling in that you might think are you buying pure, mineral spring water, only to find out those words are in the name but not in the bottle.  In other words, you might find some brands that state “tastes like mineral spring water”, only to discover the actual water is tap that has gone through a purification system. Now, regarding is bottled water better for the body than tap water, well keep in mind that some high quality and effective in-home purification systems are now available.  These can be purchased from most retail or home improvement stores for less than $50.  By attaching the system onto the faucet, tap water is filtered to remove organisms and other contaminants, making the water healthier to drink.  Although the quality is probably not the same as with bottled water, especially spring fed, it is certainly better while also reducing the associated cost. If you are trying to lose weight and/or become healthier, obviously, you want to drink anywhere from six to eight full glasses of water a day.  Water will help you feel full while also working by flushing harmful toxins and chemicals from the body.  Although you could drink tap water, we recommend that you choose high quality, bottled water instead. Unfortunately, the quality of tap water varies from one home to another.  In some parts of the country, water treatment plants are not doing a very good job.  In fact, a recent report showed that many of the major plants around the country are not eliminating dangerous chemicals to include cyanide.  In this case, when considering is bottled water better than tap, the answer is a resounding yes.  If unsure, you can perform research online to determine the quality of the drinking water for your area, helping you determine if bottled water is a better option. Sure, you can continue drinking tap water but having no way of knowing what is in it should be enough to consider switching over to bottled or spring water.  If you prefer to stick with your tap water, you can but please check out purification systems to ensure you are drinking the cleanest tap water possible.  Although deaths from nasty tap water are never heard of, we do know of illnesses and sicknesses suffered in some regions of the country. Considering that new studies were just released last month sighting numerous cities with high levels of toxins and chemicals in the water, it makes you wonder how well all the other water treatment plants are doing.  Again, with so many options for purified water, why take the risk.