If there is just one simple thing you and your family could do to help the environment – would you do it? If you knew you could save well over $1,000 for each family member per year – does that sound good?  Stop drinking bottled water. Even though it may not seem like it, bottled water is expensive!  According to the New York Times, “drinking the recommended daily amount of water using bottled water can cost an average of $1,400 per year; drinking the same amount from the tap costs around 49 cents for the year.”  So, you might ask if bottled water isn’t safer and better than tap water.  Answer: No. Did you know that tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water? You most likely already own the higher quality water in your home, because over 90 percent of water systems meet EPA’s standards for tap water quality.  That’s right, the Environmental Protection Agency found that 90 percent of tap water domestically is safe to drink. And as it turns out, studies show that at least 40 percent of the bottled water you are purchasing is just tap water anyway!  If your bottled water says “bottled at the source” – that essentially means “filled from the sink”, but who is doing the filling and from what sink? So why are we paying a lot for something that may be lower quality when the higher quality product most have access to is almost free?

So then, is it a good idea to purchase water bottles just to refill them with your own water? Not really. Disposable plastic water bottles are not meant for multiple uses.The #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is fine for a single use, but reuse can lead to bacterial growth and leaching of dangerous chemicals. Over time, this is not good for your health. Many companies are marketing water bottles made of Nalgene to avoid this bacterial issue. Some are going with other polycarbonate products which are designed for multiple uses.

As far as the impact on our environment, “The Beverage Marketing Corporation reports that Americans consumed 31.2 billion liters of water in 2006. Manufacturing all those bottles requires 900,000 tons of plastic, the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, and emit more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide. Trucking around all those heavy bottles emits even more greenhouse gases.” And when you do dispose of them, do you remember to recycle? In the US there’s massive waste – because 86% of water bottles aren’t recycled. They end up in landfills and further pollute our environment.

Bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, but it can be 10,000 times more expensive, says Emily Arnold, a researcher with the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit. “At as much as $2.50 [U.S.] per liter [$10 U.S. a gallon], bottled water costs more than gasoline,” she said. Most of this extra cost is driven by transportation and packaging. Economically the choices are clear around the globe. The average price of tap water in the United States is $1.50 for 1,000 gallons – or less than a penny a gallon. In the United Kingdom tap water costs 20 pence a litre, while in Australia the price is less than a cent a litre when it comes from the tap. Environmental groups such as Clean Up The World  are quick to point out that in countries where safe drinking water is available, people can save more than a thousand dollars a year by giving up bottled water and turning to the tap.

So, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, save money, remain healthy and take charge of your part of global responsibility, and you have access to clean tap water, here’s one fast and easy way to do that.  No more disposable bottled water. If you want to be more pro-active and would like more ideas and tips on alternative ways to be environmentally friendly, save money and resources and how you can go “green” – visit New Dream.org