BOTTLED WATER CLEANING UP SOURCE WATER & GETTING BACK TO THE TAP

People care about water #1 environmental priority for Americans: water In polls, water beats: global warming ozone depletion logging recycling

And we’re willing to pay $0.002 $0.224 $3.73 $3.79

What are we really buying?

17 million barrels of oil to make the bottles

Equal to one million cars

2.5 million tons of CO2

Equal to 11,000 fully loaded transatlantic flights

Where do all the bottles go?

24% are recycled

81% of the unrecycled bottles go to landfills

19% go straight to incinerators

6 times more plastic than plankton in the ocean

Growing awareness of bottled water problems

But we’re drinking more gallons of bottled water per capita per year ? ?

What we tested 10 different bottled waters Brands chosen based on EWG market survey, and including national super market brands Water purchased in 9 states and the District of Columbia 24 liter (6 gallon) sample Tested for 170 contaminants

What we found 38 pollutants detected 8 pollutants / brand on average disinfection byproducts, fluoride, fertilizer residue, tylenol and caffeine, synthetic chemicals (some from plastic), bacteria, & radioactive contaminants over 1/3 detected pollutants are not regulated in bottled water

44% of bottled water is city tap water that has been treated (or not)

Scientific studies

Water quality reports

For chemical contaminants Testing bottlers once a year All results are secret Total diet study No results released For chemical contaminants Testing bottlers once a year All results are secret Total diet study No results released

No consumer “Right to Know” No requirement to make bottled water test results public Water source: 10% of 228 products disclose Water treatment: 22% of 228 products disclose

Test for contaminants Test for contaminants Disclose results Disclose results Identify source of water and filtration technique Identify source of water and filtration technique Recommendations

Bottled Water Sales Growth Slow to a Trickle The Dallas Morning News, November 2008

The weak economy is sucking up disposable income. Higher costs for plastic packaging have pushed up prices. Environmentalists are making inroads in their efforts to get consumers back to the tap. The weak economy is sucking up disposable income. Higher costs for plastic packaging have pushed up prices. Environmentalists are making inroads in their efforts to get consumers back to the tap.

BOTTLED WATER CLEANING UP SOURCE WATER & GETTING BACK TO THE TAP ewg.org/reports/bottledwater