People are buying and drinking more bottled water than ever before. In the work place, the bottle of water is as common on a desk, as a telephone and computer. You can buy 1000 litres of tap water for much less than the price of one litre of some bottled waters, yet people are willing to pay the price because they believe bottled water is safer than tap water. There is no evidence to support that bottled water is safer than municipal water.

Bottled water products come from a variety of sources and undergo different levels of treatment and alterations. Some bottled water comes from the same municipal water supply that people are trying to avoid. Some municipalities in Canada and the U.S. are considering bottling and selling their municipal tap water to compete with the bottled water industry.

The many choices can be confusing. Health Canada has identified 16 classifications of bottled water (spring, natural spring, mineral, natural mineral, purified, artesian, bottled, carbonated or sparkling, distilled, drinking, deionized, fluoridated, glacial, natural, well). In Canada, bottled water is considered food and must be safe for people to consume, although Health Canada is looking into new and stricter regulations and guidelines for the industry.

Improper storage and handling can quickly turn a safe bottle of water into a “bacteria cocktail”. To prevent contamination:

• look for and abide by the “best before date”;
  
• refrigerate opened bottles of water (bottles can pick up bacteria from the mouth and
  hands of the user and these bacteria will multiply at room temperature);
  
• throw used water bottles in the recycling box - do not wash bottles - they are meant
  for single use as hot water can break down toxic chemicals contained in the plastic;
  
• personal water bottles that are meant to be reused should be washed on a daily basis;
  
• beware of bottled water while traveling outside of North America (some countries are
  not as strict about regulation and enforcement of the industry); and
  
• if you choose not to drink water directly from your tap, consider installing a home
  treatment device.