Bottled vs Tap Water

Many people may ask: what is the difference between tap and bottled water. Some believe that bottled water is better than tap water. And for a while I thought so to. But after doing research on the subject for this blog post I was surprised but what I learned.
While tap and bottled water essentially come from the same sources (lakes, springs and aquifers) the biggest difference is how they are regulated. Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while bottled water is regulated by the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA).
The majority of tap water in the US meets EPA's drinking water standards which regulates levels of 90 different contaminants. Tap water suppliers are subject to broader scrutiny and are tested several times a day. By law they are required to publish and circulate an annual Consumer Confidence Report in which they share their sources of water and any contaminants found.
On the other side bottled water is less well-regulated. The FDA requires bottlers to test once a week, once a year, or  once every four years depending on the contaminant. They are also not required to share contaminant episodes with customers. While bottled water is not contaminated from the lead in the pipes it may contain chemicals that leach out of plastic bottle that are often made from PET, or Polyethylene Terephthalate. Nationwide only 15% of water bottles get recycled every year.

Source: Los Angeles Times