Home
We recently reported on the debate over bottled drinking water and tap water. Bottled-water sales have boomed in recent years, but the backlash against it has seen tap water emerge as a more environmentally sound drinking option.
Concerns over the purity of bottled water, as reflected in a new report from the Environmental Working Group, might also force you to consider drinking only or switching back to filtered tap water. (Read “Deciphering Your Water Report” to learn how to determine the quality of the water at your home.) The EWG tested 10 brands of bottled water, all of which came up positive for chemical contaminants. Cancer-causing agents were found in the samples bought in California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.
If you’re considering flushing away bottled water for environmental, health, or, yes, financial reasons—bottled water costs many times the price of tap water—read our report on water-filtration systems, in which we reviewed carafe, faucet-mounted, countertop, undersink, reverse-osmosis, and whole-house models (available to subscribers). And watch Home Editor Bob Markovich’s recent appearance about drinking water and water filters on CBS’ The Morning Show.—Daniel DiClerico