~ by R. J. Brown, Residential Water Specialist
As a born and raised true New Englander, I grew up hearing the phrase “does a bear “go” in the woods” as an answer to a question that should have been obvious. Yes it’s a sarcastic way of answering a question, but it’s always used in jest.
I like to keep that saying in mind when customers ask me about spring/bottled water. Now, I know that human beings have been drinking spring water for hundreds of thousands of years and we are still here. I get it. But that’s not the point. The point is that our surface waters aren’t the same as they have always been, and it’s only going to get worse. With the ever increasing human population, increased pollution into the air and ground, finding a good clean source of natural water will continue to be difficult.
The bottled water industry is booming, outselling soft drink sales for the first time in 2012. You can’t beat the convenience, for sure. Bottled water isn’t as great as we think it is, however. In fact, it might be worse than you think. The Environmental Working Group is a third-party, non- profit organization that consider themselves a “watch dog” agency that is trying to educate people and government to help protect us and the environment. In 2011 they performed a detailed study on bottled water and what we are and aren’t being told about the very water most people buy everyday without even thinking twice.
In some cases, the bottled water we are drinking contains more contaminants than our very own well water. Filtering your own water can assure you are drinking reliable, safe water. My recommendation? Drink and cook with water that you know is safe, and help protect our environment all at the same time.
