Why is tap water better than bottled water?

Do you drink bottled or tap water? If we are to believe the figures, there is a good chance that you will answer ‘bottled water’. In Flanders, 1.5 billion plastic bottles are sold every year. Apparently, we continue to opt for bottled water. However, tap water is the best choice in every respect. And not just because it means you don’t use plastic! We explain why and debunk a few myths about tap water.

The benefits of tap water

Tap water tastes fine. Often, people cannot taste the difference between tap water and bottled water. If you taste a hint of chlorine, let the water rest in a carafe for a while and the taste will disappear. Chlorine is not harmful to your health.

The water footprint of tap water is six times smaller than that of bottled water, namely 0.4 liters compared to 2.4 liters of water, per glass of water. If you choose tap water every day, you will save thousands of liters of water per year. This difference in water footprint is partly due to the fact that plastic has to be manufactured, bottles have to be transported, and water and electricity are needed to keep the factory running. So, logically, the ecological footprint of bottled water is many times greater than that of tap water.

And that’s not all. Bottled water is also a lot more expensive. Tap water is virtually free, although you do have to pay your water bill, of course. But this is a minimal cost when you compare it to the price of bottled water. If you drink five glasses of bottled water a day, it will cost you €350 to €550 per year, while tap water costs only a few euros. In Flanders, you pay around €4.30 for 1,000 liters of water (1 m³).

You can also reduce the amount of plastic waste by not buying bottles. Billions of beverage containers are thrown away every year, not only from bottled water, but also from soft drinks, fruit juice, and so on.

Want to know more about the impact of tap water? Visit the website Kraanwater.be.

How drinkable is tap water?

Water companies are required to monitor water quality from source to tap. The water is tested for a wide range of parameters. Nevertheless, there are many myths circulating about the quality of our drinking water.

A well-known criticism of tap water is that it can contain nitrates, lead, hormones, and other contaminants. But is this true, and if so, is it harmful?

Nitrates can indeed be found in tap water. This is mainly because they end up in waterways and groundwater through fertilization. However, water companies closely monitor that the legal limit is not exceeded. The limit for nitrates is 50 mg/liter, and according to the World Health Organization, anything below that poses no threat to humans. Therefore, you do not need to worry about nitrates.

Lead may be present in tap water in limited quantities. This is usually due to the presence of old lead pipes in your (older) home. However, the drinking water company supplies water that absorbs little or no lead from pipe walls. The best solution is to replace all lead pipes. Another thing that can help is to let the water run for a minute or two before drinking it. You can then use this water to water your plants, for example.

And what about hormones? Have you heard that tap water contains hormones that end up in it when urine is flushed down the toilet? First of all, this is actually impossible, because only surface water from rivers or groundwater is used to produce drinking water. Wastewater, such as from toilets, is not used for this purpose. Water companies remove all harmful substances during water treatment and are strictly monitored.

If you have doubts about the quality of your water, for example, a strange smell or color, you can have your drinking water company carry out a free check.