Going to the sink and running you a glass of clear, cold
water do not take much effort. But have you considered where
your drinking water comes from and if it is safe. Sure, we
buy bottles of water each year but who makes sure that the
water found within those plastic cocoons is actually safe
for human consumption?

It is a complex process that begins with your bottle or
glass of water and continues on to the federal government.
If you have not given your drinking water much thought it is
time to do so because there are plenty of chances you are
taking each time you take a drink of water.

So for your informative pleasure this article will take you
through some of the questions you may have about your
drinking water. From source to tap this is your
one-stop-drinking information.

Are there better bottled waters for you versus some others?

Well, that depends on who you ask. Many bottling companies
market their products as "pure" when in reality they may be
from the same water source that comes from your kitchen
sink. Other companies are now adding flavors and vitamins to
their waters in order to entice more consumers into choosing
their brands over the competition. It really comes down to
personal taste and preference.

Is it considered protected under the Safe Drinking Water
Act?

Well water is not considered protected under the Safe
Drinking Water Act set forth by the Environmental Protection
Agency due to it is not being consumed by the public. In
fact the SDWA only covers areas in which ten or more homes
are using the same source water. Your private water supply
will need to be monitored by you but you can buy kits that
test the quality of your water to ensure that it is safe for
your consumption.

What is the Safe Drinking Water Act?

In 1974 Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act as a way
to monitor the drinking water standards of all US public
drinking water facilities. It does not cover well water but
it does cover bottled water facilities. It does cover ground
well water sources where public water facilities tap into
though and of course rivers, streams and lakes.

What is this backlash about bottled drinking water about?

A few years ago a major bottling company of water was
discovered to be using tap water as their "pure mountain
spring water" instead of what they advertised. This helped
fuel the debate on whether or not bottled water was any
better for you than tap water.

Conservationists and environmental protection agencies have
long argued that this trend towards bottled water is harming
the environment. The sheer volumes of plastic water bottles
in our landfills are testament to that fact.

Mike Selvon has a passion for clean h2o, and his portal
answers your common questions about drinking water. Visit
his portal for your free gift and leave a comment at his
water treatment blog.