Why Are Women’s Buttons on the Left? The Fascinating Story Behind a Small Detail
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🔍 What the study found
According to a fact sheet by Food & Water Watch (March 2018), the share of bottled water sourced from municipal water systems (i.e., tap water) rose from about 51.8 % in 2009 to nearly 64 % in 2014.
Food & Water Watch
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store.extension.iastate.edu
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A related article by the New York Rural Water Association summarises: “In a groundbreaking study … approximately 64 % of the bottled water sold in the United States is actually sourced from municipal tap water.”
nyruralwater.org
The implication: Many bottled-water products are essentially repackaged tap water (sometimes filtered) sold at a premium.
🧾 Brands to know and transparency issues
The report from Food & Water Watch doesn’t list every brand but explains that many major bottled-water companies source from municipal systems.
Food & Water Watch
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Websites summarising brand data note that brands such as Dasani, Aquafina and others are among those identified as using municipal (tap) water sources (although treatment/filtration may differ).
thewaterdepot.com
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The study emphasises transparency: many bottled-water brands do not clearly disclose their water source, how it was treated, or its testing results. A smaller number of brands did disclose that information.
nyruralwater.org
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⚠️ What this means for you as a consumer
Cost vs. value: If you’re paying significantly more for bottled water under the assumption it comes from “mountain springs” or is much safer than tap water, you may not be getting substantially different source water.
Regulatory differences: Municipal (tap) water systems in the U.S. are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act—and are required to test regularly and report to the public. Meanwhile, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a packaged food product, which in many cases involves fewer public disclosure requirements.
halowater.com
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Marketing vs. reality: The bottled-water industry often markets purity, spring-water origins and “better than tap” claims. The data highlights that the source may not always match these claims—or at least may be less exclusive than presumed.
What to look for: If you buy bottled water, check if the label or the brand website discloses the source, treatment methods, and any recent testing results. If transparency is lacking, ask questions. Alternatively, consider filtering well-regulated tap water and using reusable bottles to reduce cost and waste.
✅ Bottom line
The headline that nearly 64% of bottled water in the U.S. is just tap water points to a real phenomenon: a large portion of bottled water comes from municipal water systems once the domain of regular tap supply. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the bottled version is unsafe, it does suggest that the premium cost, marketing claims and perceived superiority may deserve scrutiny. For many consumers, a well-maintained home water line plus filter might offer as much value (or more) than paying extra for brand-packaged water.
Would you like me to dig into the latest brand-by-brand disclosures (2024/2025) about bottled-water sources, transparency ratings, and consumer choices?
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