The True Cost of Bottled Water Revealed

• Why the true cost of bottled water is higher than you think
• The many benefits of reverse osmosis and whole home water filtration systems
• How Angel Water can help you save money while ensuring your family has unlimited access to clean, pure, delicious water

According to Angel Water CEO and international clean water advocate Andrew Wilson, consuming clean, pure water is the most important element of enjoying lifelong wellness.

And since Americans love convenience, it’s often easier to just buy it prepackaged with pictures of glaciers or pristine mountain vistas rather than deal with metallic-tasting and weird-smelling unfiltered tap water at home.

Grabbing a water from the store, gym, or office has become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, but the unsavory financial, environmental, and health implications of this industry are often overlooked.

Let’s take a closer look into the true cost of bottled water, how inflated bottled water prices impact your wallet and the world, and why investing in a reverse osmosis system or whole house water filter is a much smarter and more sustainable choice.

Why People Choose Bottled Water (and Why They Shouldn’t)

Most homeowners assume their tap water is relatively safe — but if it’s not, there’s always bottled water. Right?

Your home’s municipal water supply could be contaminated with germs, biological contaminants, chemicals, carcinogens, or toxic metals from a variety of sources, such as:

• Outdated, corroding pipes or supply lines made of lead
• Fertilizers and pesticides
• Nearby manufacturing or large-scale factory farming
• Industrial waste
• Stormwater intrusion
• Leaks from underground landfills or chemical storage facilities
• Damaged infrastructure from a natural disaster

That’s why it’s crucial to perform regular testing and take immediate action to remove these contaminants from the water your family uses daily. Inadequate chlorination and filtration resulted in over 400,000 Milwaukee residents falling ill due to the presence of cryptosporidium parasites in the municipal system.

When faced with poor-quality tap water, it’s no wonder many think putting up with the burdensome cost of bottled water is safer overall, especially if there are children or elderly relatives in your household. However, studies show that bottled water is often simply filtered tap water, sometimes with substantially lower quality standards than municipal water supplies.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the water bottling industry, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces stricter rules for public water systems with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR).

Bottled water buyers beware: the FDA has just issued a Class III recall for over 150,000 bottles of water manufactured by Berkeley Club Beverages, Inc., based in Berkeley Springs, WV, which tested positive for coliform bacteria. Not all coliforms cause illness, but some types, such as E. coli O157:H7, can make you violently sick. Common symptoms of E. coli poisoning include vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

What’s even more horrifying is the proliferation of plastic particles throughout every part of our environment from disposable water bottles. Researchers have found microplastics and nanoplastics, which are less than 1μm in size, in human blood, lungs, gut, and reproductive tissues. Per the National Institutes of Health, “the potential health effects of these tiny plastic bits are still unproven and unknown.” Children who regularly consume bottled water have greater levels of exposure to micro and nanoplastic particles.

The true cost of bottled water includes risking your family’s health.

The Shocking Economics Behind Bottled Water Prices

The production and consumption of bottled water have a profound impact on our planet as well as our bodies.

The process of creating these handy grab-and-go drinks is incredibly water-intensive. It takes significantly more water to produce than the amount contained within the bottle itself. It’s estimated that it takes 3 liters of water to make 1 liter of the bottled stuff.

The entire lifecycle of bottled water, from production to disposal, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Billions of empty plastic containers float in our oceans and clog landfills across the world.

Most people prefer to buy in bulk, purchasing large quantities in order to save money. The International Bottled Water Association states that the average wholesale price per gallon of domestic non-sparkling bottled water was $1.44 in 2023.

At convenience stores, where prices are typically higher, a 16-ounce water bottle can cost around $1.50, which translates to a staggering $12 per gallon. Compare this to tap water, which costs a mere $0.01 per gallon on average, depending on your location. Bottled water prices can be up to 600 times more expensive than tap water!

Considering the astronomical cost of bottled water, the convenience just isn’t worth it.