Tap water, bottled water, filtered water… is one better for you than the other? We did a little research and looked into each to see what 
the positives and negatives were of each hydratious treat. You may be surprised what is actually in your water…
Tap Water
The safety of your tap water is closely linked to the source that it comes from. For example, city water is constantly tested and treated to eliminate microorganisms. If your tap water is coming from a private well, you should get it tested yearly for nitrates and the presence of bacteria. However, if your tap water is not tested yearly regarding where the source is, Arsenic, Aluminum and Flouride can be found in the water. These contaminants can affect your health in a negative way. Moral of the story, Test your water!!
Bottled Water
Bottled water is substantially more expensive than tap water however, 40% of bottled water is actually tap water! You do not know where that water came from and if it is suitable for drinking without filtration. Plastic bottles contain a chemical called bisphenol A or BPA, which is a synthetic hormone disruptor and has been linked to serious health problems! If you are a water bottle junkie like me, try purchasing a glass water bottle and you will not run into the BPA problems.
Filtered Water
These are becoming more and more popular in every home. There are 3 different kinds of filters that are most recommended.
Reverse Osmosis Filter
This filter removes chlorine, organic and inorganic contaminants, 80% of the fluoride and DPB’s. This filter does need to be installed by a plumber.
Ion Exchange Filter
This filter removes dissolved salts in the water such as calcium. This filter exchanges the natural mineral ions in the water with its own ions which neutralizes the effect of creating scale build up.
Granular Carbon and Carbon Block filters
The most common countertop and under counter filter. These are recognized by the EDA as the best available technology for removing organic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides and industrial chemicals. Using a filter ensures the safety of your water regardless of where the source is.
Get your water tested to see if your tap water is suitable for safe drinking and if so then you don’t need to purchase and install a filter. However, if your water is not safe to drink on tap then a filter is necessary to remove all that junk!
The Overall Review:
I recommend filtered water when it is available. One trick is to buy a Brita water bottle– it’s a water bottle designed with a small carbon filter in the lid! If you live in a populated city, the tap water is usually fine! The more populated a city is, the more times in a day they test it. But the main thing to take from this is this: Do your best.
When it comes to drinking water, do your best regarding quality, but the most important factor is that your are drinking water at all. You want to imbibe about half your body weight in ounces. That means if you weigh 150lbs, you want to consume at least 75 ounces of water in a day.
Here are some tricks to getting more water into your day:
- Begin the habit of drinking 8 ounces of water first thing when you wake up. This will gently waken the body and get peristalsis going.
- Get a large water bottle and mark it with times in place of ounces. For instance, 8 ounces down mark 8am, 16 ounces down mark 10am, etc. This way you have water deadlines to meet!
- Try to finish your water minimum by 8pm. Drinking water late at night can spur late night bathroom trips which translates to interrupted sleep.
- Always have water in front of you at your desk.
- Flavor your water by dropping in some orange or lemon slices, fresh fruit, cucumber and mint, or whatever suits your palette!
Sources:
http://www.foodsafety.wisc.edu/consumer/fact_sheets/waterbottles.pdf
http://www.mercola.com/article/water.htm