Photo By: Cat Hosch

By: Sherlyn Ong

Water is simple and essential, but there is more than meets the eye. Is tap water or bottled water truly better?

Tap water is generally cheaper than bottled water. Unfortunately, it can taste bad sometimes, which would lead to investing on a filter which could cost some money. However, this long-term investment is still less pricey than water bottles. A con about using tap water is that one would need to also invest in a reusable water bottle. However, this greatly reduces plastic waste and is beneficial to the environment.

Bottled water on the other hand is convenient to dispose of after use, which increases plastic waste (recycling is not a miracle, we still use too much plastic). However, it definitely is convenient to carry and it has a consistent taste. What many don’t know though, is that this consistent taste, in most cases, is just tap water. If your bottle of water says “from a municipal source” or “from a community water system”, it means that it was derived from tap water. Hence, you would technically be paying more money for tap water that is essentially free.

In my opinion, tap water is a better option because it is more economical and more considerate of the environment. Many people believe that as long as they recycle the bottles they drink, they are not doing the environment any harm, but they are gravely mistaken. Recycling is definitely better than discarding the bottles but it still wastes resources (fossil fuels) to actually reuse the plastic. Furthermore, as an immigrant, I have never seen a person in my country live a lifestyle where they actively consume water bottles daily as their water source; almost everyone has a reusable water bottle. Hence, I believe that it is possible but people should seriously consider living a lifestyle that isn’t as wasteful.