Recommending tap water critical for ‘ensuring long-term health safety’

Key takeaways:

• Tap water offers several financial and environmental benefits over bottled water, according to experts.
• Public awareness campaigns are needed for highlighting alternatives to bottled water.

Recommending tap water consumption could help address health and environmental concerns related to bottled water, according to a commentary published in BMJ Global Health.

Approximately 1 million bottles of water are purchased every minute, with this trend expected to rise substantially in the coming years, Amit Abraham, MD, an assistant professor of clinical population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, and colleagues explained.

The substantial consumption of bottled water poses challenges that “include a range of issues impacting public health, environmental integrity and the broader goal of sustainable development,” they wrote. “Addressing these concerns is critical for maintaining ecological balance and ensuring long-term health safety.”

The demand for bottled water is driven by several factors, including “perceived nutritional advantages, mistrust of tap water quality and personal taste preferences,” Abraham and colleagues wrote

They noted that between 10% to 78% of bottled water samples possess contaminants, including microplastics, alkylphenols, phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), whereas many of these contaminants have been connected to adverse health outcomes.

For example, microplastics in the carotid plaque increases the risk for death, stroke and heart attack, whereas BPA exposure has been tied to mortality, diabetes, CVD, obesity, asthma and decreased insulin sensitivity.

“This narrative paints a concerning picture of bottled water — a product often chosen for its perceived purity and safety,” Abraham and colleagues wrote.

They pointed out that although consumers may believe bottled water offers superior taste vs. tap water, studies have shown that many cannot tell the difference between the two in blind taste tests, while the perceived superior taste “may be more a result of added chemical compounds rather than the natural quality of the water itself.”

Additionally, “it is essential to recognize that taste perception is not static but can evolve with time and experience, reinforcing the notion that taste alone should not be the decisive factor in water choice,” they wrote.

The authors further added that tap water is cheaper — with bottled water potentially costing several times more — and is a greener option because plastic bottles make up 11.9% of all plastic waste and are the second most prevalent ocean pollutant.

Several efforts have been conducted in various countries to encourage tap water consumption, such as offering refilling stations and drinking fountains in public spaces.

Still, public awareness campaigns are crucial in shifting to alternatives to bottled water, Abraham and colleagues explained.

“They can generate demand and push governments to make policy changes and can create governmental accountability for provision of clean and potable water,” they wrote. “They should provide clear evidence-based information about tap water’s advantages, correct false beliefs and respond to worries about health risks and the taste and smell of tap water.”

Ultimately, “by prioritizing tap water consumption, we can collectively address the multifaceted challenges posed by bottled water and embrace tap water as a cornerstone of environmental responsibility and public health,” the authors concluded.