While some Americans get water from the tap, the rest pay for the bottled variety at a cost of $100 billion a year.
The average cost of a gallons worth of single-serve bottled water in the US is nearly $9.50, according to FoodandWaterWatch . That's nearly three times more expensive than the average price for a gallon of milk , and almost four times the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline . Bottled water costs nearly 2,000 times more than tap water, which costs less than a cent per gallon.
Many people assume that the higher price tag is justified by the health benefits of bottled water, but in most cases, that's not true.
"It is wrong to assume that bottled water is somehow cleaner, healthier, or safer than tap water in the US," Peter Gleick, an environmental scientist and the co-founder of the Pacific Institute , told Business Insider.
Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons for most people to stop shelling out for bottled water. Here's what to know.
The first documented case of bottled water being sold was in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1760s. A company called Jacksons Spa bottled and sold mineral water for "therapeutic" uses.
Americans consume more packaged water overall than people in any other country in the world except China.
Across the globe, people drink roughly 10% more bottled water every year. On a per-capita basis, the US ranks number six in bottled water consumption.
Today, Americans today drink more bottled water than milk or beer. Each person consumes roughly 39 gallons of bottled water annually.
In 2016, Americans drank more bottled water than soda for the first time ever.
It costs 2,000 times more to drink bottled water than it does to drink from the tap.
Soda companies are aware of how lucrative bottled water can be corporations like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been investing in it.
In 2017, Pepsi bought a 30-second Super Bowl ad to debut its premium bottled water brand LIFEWTR.
"The worst is the false claims made by some specialty bottled waters that claim magical benefits from adding oxygen, or magically rearranging crystals, or various other water voodoo," Gleick said.
He added that "even the mainstream companies have occasionally had ad campaigns that directly or indirectly malign tap water."
Research suggests that for most Americans, water in a bottle is not better than the stuff from your tap. In fact, one report found that almost half of all bottled water is derived from the tap, though it may be further processed or tested.
Stefanie Dollase-Berger/Shutterstock
In 2007, Pepsi (Aquafina) and Nestle (Pure Life) had to change their labels to more accurately reflect this.
"Bottled water is no better regulated, tested, or monitored than tap water, and often less well monitored," Gleick said.
Diego Torres Silvestre/Flickr
"When there are problems with tap water, the solution is to invest in updating and fixing our water systems, not to turn to bottled water," he added.
In fact, tap water is typically tested for quality and contamination more frequently than bottled water.
Still, the quality of your tap water can vary considerably based on where you live. According to EPA law, you should receive an annual drinking-water quality report, or Consumer Confidence Report, that details where your water comes from and whats in it. You can use the link below to find yours.
However, if you live in one of the 15 million (mostly rural) US households that get drinking water from a private well, the EPA isnt keeping an eye on your water quality.
Aungkul Intaraprasong/Shutterstock
The water from some of these wells may not be safe to drink. In a 2011 report, 13% of the private wells that geologists tested contained at least one element (like arsenic or uranium) at a concentration above national guidelines.
Heres what should and shouldnt be in your tap water.
Anaele Pelisson / Business Insider
Bottled waters recent popularity may be due to rising concerns about the purity of tap water. A 2017 Gallup poll found that 63% of Americans worried a "great deal" about the pollution in drinking water.
That was the highest percentage of concern reported since 2001.
"Trust in our urban water systems is declining because of preventable disasters like Flint, Michigan," Gleick said.
Though some people complain about the taste of tap water, most of us probably cant tell the difference. In a blind taste test done by students at Boston University, only a third of taste-testers identified a tap water sample correctly.
Making bottled water is also an expensive, resource-heavy process.
Plus, more water goes into making a bottle of water than simply the contents: North American companies companies use 1.39 liters of water to make one liter of the bottled stuff.
You might be thinking: "Hey, at least the bottles get recycled, right?" Wrong. For every six water bottles Americans use, only one makes it to the recycle bin.
So think of these facts the next time you consider buying bottled water. To double-check that your local tap water is clean, look up your regions report with the link below.
GuilhermeMesquita/Shutterstock
SEE ALSO: Bottled water is a scam for most Americans, but a new report reveals some surprising places where it's dangerous to drink the tap
