When you’re deciding what source of water you’d like in your home or business, bottled water and filtered water are generally the two main options if you want a step-up from tap water.
According to a survey by the National Science Foundation, more than three-quarters of U.S. consumers (82%) are concerned about contaminants in their drinking water. The United States has some of the world’s safest drinking water, and the EPA has strict drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants, including chlorine, arsenic, lead, bacteria such as cryptosporidium and giardia, and many more. Still, millions of cases of waterborne gastrointestinal illnesses occur in the U.S. each year because of contaminated drinking water.
Fortunately, bottled water and filtered water can help reduce the number of contaminants in drinking water. But which is the better option, bottled water or filtered water? This article covers some of the benefits of each so you can make the choice that’s right for your home or business.
What’s the Difference Between Bottled Water and Filtered Drinking Water?
What are the benefits of filtered water vs. bottled water? When we talk about bottled water in this context, we’re not just talking about the individually-sized plastic bottles of water you can buy by the case at the grocery store. We also mean larger-sized packaged water that sits in your refrigerator and the five-gallon plastic jugs of water that sit atop a water cooler. Filtered water, on the other hand, is what you get when you attach a filter, often made of carbon, to your plumbing to filter impurities like chlorine and metal deposits out of your tap water.
Is bottled water filtered? Sometimes it is. If the water comes from groundwater or a municipal water supply, it undergoes purification before being bottled. If the water is natural spring water or mineral water, it may not be filtered before delivery, since some types of filtering, such as reverse osmosis, could remove beneficial minerals.
Water Cooler Talk: Benefits of Bottled Water
Some of the advantages of bottled water include the following:
- Convenience and portability: The portability of bottled water and water coolers offers convenience and versatility. With bottled water, you don’t have to attach a water system to your plumbing, such as in the space under a sink. If you have a water cooler, you can plug it into any power outlet and go from there. This feature helps give you options if you want to try a water cooler out in different areas of a home or office building.
- Cost-effective installation: Because there’s nothing to install, bottled water systems can have lower up-front costs compared to water filtration systems. They can also be more cost-effective when water consumption levels are very low.
- No filter changes: With a water filtration system, the water you’re drinking is sourced from tap water that flows through water filters. In order for the filters to remain, they must be changed as instructed (for high quality filters, usually annually). With bottled water, there are no required filter changes.
Try Filtered Water: Benefits of Filtered Water
Filtered water offers numerous benefits. If you try transitioning from bottled water to filtered water, you’ll soon see these advantages in your home or business:
- Cost-effectiveness: With bottled water or water cooler systems, moderate to heavy usage means faster emptying of bottles and the need for constant purchase of more water. This increase in usage leads to costs that can quickly add up. With filtered water, once your system is set up, you’re good to go for a long time (usually one year). So, using filtered water helps save both time and money.
- Low maintenance: Filtered water systems are easy to maintain, providing a valuable convenience factor. You no longer have to transport, store, or schedule deliveries for packaged water. Instead, you can have water where and when you need it.
- No heavy lifting: If you purchase water or have a water cooler, you are familiar with the strain lifting heavy bottles can have on your back, muscles, and joints. Plus, it’s just a pain to lug bottled water from its point of purchase (or delivery) to its proper location. With a water filter, there is absolutely no heavy lifting!
- Quality water for various needs: Filtered water provides quality water for more than just drinking water. It allows plenty of healthy, good-tasting water for cooking, soups, coffee, tea, ice cubes, baby formula, plants, aquariums, and more!
- Low environmental impact: One of the most significant benefits of using a water filtration system is its low impact on the environment. All plastic bottles have to go somewhere. But many types of plastic cannot be recycled, and plastic does not biodegrade well. Globally, we produce about 300 million tons of plastic waste every year, which is more or less the weight of the entire human population on Earth. Using filtered water means that much less plastic ends up in landfills to pollute the planet. It also means using fewer fossil fuels in the production of plastic bottles.
- High quality filtration: With filtered water, you can take advantage of technology like Reverse Osmosis or Microbiological filtration. Each option is unique, taking care of various issues based on the quality of your water, leaving you with fresh, clean, great-tasting drinking water that’s hassle-free to obtain.
Comparing Filtered Water to Bottled Water
Bottled and filtered water will both supply safe, clean, great-tasting drinking water for your home or business needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you’re comparing filtered water to bottled water:
- Is convenience a top priority? Do you want a filtration system that requires annual maintenance or are you okay with purchasing water in plastic bottles that must be moved, stored, and recycled? If you want to be able to install your water system and then forget about it, a water filtration system may be the way to go.
- Do you want quality water for more than just drinking water? Do you frequently use water for ice cubes, baby formula, cooking, coffee, etc? If you do, a filtration system will take care of your needs.
- Is eco-friendliness important to you? Do you want a system that does not rely upon plastic bottles, helping to reduce the amount of plastic you put into the environment? Or do other benefits outweigh this concern? If reducing your environmental impact is high on your list, try filtered water instead of bottled water or packaged water.
- Is portability a necessity? Do you want a cooler that you can move from place to place and try out in different locations? Or would you rather have a filter that attaches to your plumbing to filter your tap water? For portability, a water cooler with bottled water wins out.
- Is space an issue? Do you want a water cooler that will take up a small amount of space in your home or office, or do you want a unit that will hide discreetly on a countertop corner or under the sink? If you want a more unobtrusive system, a water filtration system is probably your best bet.
- How many people will be using the water supply? If your water usage is moderate to heavy, it may make sense to invest in a water filtration system for the hassle-free convenience and cost savings. If you hardly use any water, bottled water may work best.
Contact Long’s EcoWater for Your Drinking Water Needs
When you need a water filtration, purification system, or water softener installed, turn to Long’s EcoWater for trusted advice and expertise in the Lehigh Valley. We’ve been in business for over 70 years, and we know the ins and outs of water.
We offer water filters for businesses and homes, so you’ll be sure to have safe drinking water whether you’re at home or the office. Our whole-home filtration systems use reverse osmosis to help remove bad smells, unpleasant tastes and impurities like metal deposits from your water. And our water purification systems, such as microbiological filters, help keep your home or business free from harmful pathogens.
Contact us today to learn more about filtered water.