Did you know...?
> 40% of bottled water comes from public water sources.
> It takes three to seven times as much water to produce a bottle of water as to fill it up.
> Americans use 25 billion single-serve plastic water bottles per year, and 20 billion of those end up as litter or in landfills.
> 60-70% of bottled water sold in the US is not subject to the Food and Drug Administration’s bottled water standards since water bottled and sold in the same state is not subject to federal regulations.
> Even when they do apply, FDA bottled water rule are list stringent than the Environmental Protection Agency’s municipal water treatment standards.
> City tap water must meet standards for certain toxins, carcinogens, E. coli and other pathogens which are not regulated by the FDA.
> Unlike municipal water systems, bottlers are not required to issue a “right to know” about the constituents of the water.
Sources:
http://www.bottledwaterblues.com/Bottled_Water_Facts.cfm
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php
http://conservation.meetup.com/30/boards/thread/4027311