The Lincoln Log

A taste test performed at Abraham Lincoln High School suggests that tap water tastes better than bottled water. The test was performed by Lincoln High’s AP Environmental Science class (APES). APES is a class that focuses on the relationship between the environment and the human condition. For example, the class explores the relationship between water quality and diseases, racism, and poverty. APES teacher Jeffrey Kim gave students samples of Aquafina and tap water from Abraham Lincoln High School. The result was quite a shock to some. Most students felt that tap water from Lincoln High tasted better; while other students said they couldn’t taste any difference at all.

So why do people pay $1.50 for bottled water when according to some, better tasting water is available for free? Many assume that bottled water is cleaner.

“Bottled water tastes more sophisticated and cleaner,” a student in APES who wishes to remain anonymous said.

Perhaps bottled water does taste better; it depends on your sophisticated palate. It is much more convenient, having water accessible wherever you go, in a clear, cool-looking bottle. You can also buy it in stores in exchange for just one measly dollar. The convenience factor to tap water is huge according to most people. In addition, some people believe it’s hard to trust the quality of the pipes in some taps, so to avoid having to constantly wonder if the water you’re drinking from some front of a gas station is clean or now, many purchase bottled water instead. Consumerism is what keeps this economy going, so it’s great for people to be out there spending money on bottled water so industries could thrive.

According to Kim, the standards for bottled and tap water are essentially the same. Laws are poorly enforced that bottled water is often dirtier than tap water. In fact, if a company bottles and ships within a state, it doesn’t have to comply with Federal Drug Administration regulations. As a result, many bottled water companies have violated FDA standards for cleanliness.

Roughly 33 percent of bottled water is contaminated with bacteria, according to “Miller, 13th Edition,” an APES textbook. The problem is so widespread that the Environmental Law Foundation sued eight bottlers for selling water that contains bacteria, arsenic, and chlorine. The same bottlers use the word “pure” to sell their tainted water.

Making matters worse, water that has been sitting in bottles accumulates phthalates; a kind of chemical used to make plastics, such as water bottles, and is also extremely detrimental to our health. This chemical is emitted from plastic containers such as water bottles when water is stored in a very long time in the bottle. Furthermore, industries were aware of their potential harmful effects, but didn’t take any measures to eliminate them.

According to Dr. Alson Lee, a chemistry and physics teacher at Lincoln High, “Phthalates are dangerous chemicals that have been known to cause developmental problems in children.” Lee did research on phthalates before teaching at Lincoln.

Several studies suggest a link between phthalate exposure and decreased sperm count in men. Phthalates can disrupt the endocrine system, especially the reproductive system. Studies of boys whose mothers were exposed to hormonally active agents showed that they suffered from irregularly small penis sizes.

“The longer it [bottled water] has been in plastic bottles, the more phthalates have leached into the water,” Lee said.

Of course, with bottled water comes the use of oil-based plastics and waste. Every time we drink from a plastic bottle, we throw it away from recycle it. Plastic recycling, although better than just throwing it away, still causes emissions of hazardous chemicals. People who simply throw away plastics in trashcans are contributing towards our nation’s growing landfills. San Francisco doesn’t even have space for landfills, so we ship our garbage across the bay. Of bigger concern, oil is needed to make plastic bottles. This further entangles our relationship with oil and conflict in the Middle East.

Not only are people unaware of the impacts of bottled water on our health and out natural environments, they are also unclear about the benefits of tap water. San Francisco supplies some of the cleanest water in the country. It comes from snow melt in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where it is stored in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

According to the SFPUC, “This pristine water source meets all federal and state criteria for watershed protection, disinfection treatment, bacteriological quality and operational standards. The California Department of Health Services has granted this water course a filtration exemption.”

“Every year, our water is tested over 100,000 times to make sure it meets or exceeds every standard for safe drinking water,” Susan Leal, the General Manager of the SF Public Utilities commission said.

Few bottled water companies can brag about clean snow melt. In fact, many bottled water companies get their water from the tap. For example, Kirkland water is bottled in San Bernardino County, all of which is a desert.

“You can’t have a bottling company in the desert unless you take it from the Colorado River,” Kim said. “By the time the water gets piped to San Bernardino, it has already been used and dumped as sewage by several towns and cities. Treated sewage is simply put into the river, some of which ends up in pipes to San Bernardino. What Kirkland is really bottling is tap water.”

Just because a bottling company says their water is “fresh” and “pure,” doesn’t mean people should trust them. People can’t trust one source just to get all their information.

“I drink tap water at home, It tastes good to me,” says Kim.

If tap water tastes better and can improve our health and environment, will people be able to overcome their superstitions about bottled water?

“I always thought that bottled water is cleaner and tasted better,” said Junior Candice Kwan, a student in APES who participated in the water test. “I’ve switched to drinking more tap water. When I drink bottled water now, I always think to myself: ‘that is could be dirtier.’”

Maybe we just trust companies to give us good products more than we trust the government. Maybe it’s just he sophisticated feeling of having bottled water in out hands that makes us feel special; like a new status symbol for wealth. People can even compete to see how many boats, planes, and automobiles the water traveled on before it gets to their mouths. We’ve become brainwashed by the media, believing in every kind of gimmick they sell to us. It may be difficult to change society’s thoughts about tap water, because we’ve grown accustomed to thinking this way.

Whatever the reasons for choosing the bottle, the more you do your research about what you consume, the less likely you will be bamboozled by industries that want to sell you overpriced tap water in a toxic package. Perhaps it’s a lesson about thoughtfulness and skepticism. Knowledge can free us from when we apply it for good purposes. So the next time you pick up a bottle of water from your fridge at home or from a vending machine in our school, perhaps you can consider the alternative. Maybe you don’t have to stray away from those water fountains in school, because chances are, the water there is as good was the water you buy. Think about how eco-friendly drinking a tall glass of tap water would be. It’s clean, refreshing, and many say it’s even better than bottled water. In doing so, you can help save the environment little by little. Maybe it is time to be weaned from the bottle.