Gloria Alonzo

Why tap water is better than you think

Although purchasing bottled water has brought big business to the United States, municipal
drinking water (tap water) is a better option because of its low price, strict health regulations and
benefits to the environment.
Berman, E., & Johnson, R. (2015). The unintended consequences of changes in beverage options
and the removal of bottled water on a university campus. American Journal of Public
Health, 105(7), 1404-1408.
Berman discusses how banning the sale of bottled water affects the health of the students
as well as the small stream at the University of Vermont. I will disagree with this source because
Berman found that because there was a ban of bottled water on campus the health of students
declined. The research study showed that the university stopped purchasing bottled water and
started buying more sugary drinks instead. I do not agree with the university for doing that. I will
be using quotations from this source, especially when the author discusses the ways in which
they attempted to reduce plastic waste. I will also show that the model that the university started
is ineffective and that tap water could have played an important role in the health of the students.
Diduch, M., Polkowska, Z. & Namiesnik, J. (2013). Factors affecting the quality of bottled
water. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 23(2), 111-119.
The authors of this article claim that the popularity of bottled water results in the neglect
of governments to provide further research of the contaminants in bottled water. The authors
found that factors such as heat and contaminants produced at the time of bottling are dangerous
to consumers. I will agree with this source because the authors provide evidence of the dangers
of bottled water and explain the bottling water process from collection all the way to the
distribution. Components of this source that I will use are expert testimony, such as how
contaminants found in bottled water are formed and description of the process of bottling water
for consumers.
Huerta-Saenz, L., Irigoyen, M., Benavides, J., & Mendoza, M. (2012). Tap or bottled water:
Drinking preferences among urban minority children and adolescents. Journal of
Community Health, 37(1), 54-58.
The research presented by the authors shows that bottled water is a predominant choice of
children and adolescents in urban cities and juxtaposes this with the quality of bottled water.
These urban children and teenagers did not drink tap water because of the way society views it as
being dirty. The researchers suggest that these young people should be taught the importance
of tap water and its benefits. These benefits include lower price, fluoride benefits, and the
environmental impacts of bottled water. I will agree with this source because the authors
highlight the importance of the effect that bottled water has on these young people and their

environment. I will be using data and quotations from this article, such as percentages of children
who favor bottled water and how they had no previous knowledge of fluoride benefits.
Hu, Z., Morton, L., & Mahler, R. (2011). Bottled water: United states consumers and their
perceptions of water quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, 8(2), 565-578
The authors discuss the exponential rise in Americans favoring bottled water over tap
water and the detrimental environmental effects. I will agree with this source because they
highlight the trend in the United States of preferring bottled water and argue against those who
think that bottled water is better quality than tap water. I will use data that if found in this article
to back up my claims that this trend must stop in order to prevent further damage to the
environment.
Mukheibir, P. (2010). Water access, water scarcity, and climate change. Environmental
Management, 45(5), 1027-39. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-010-9474-6
The author investigates possible approaches to help prevent shortened water access
during increasing rate of climate change. I will partially agree with this source because the author
highlights climate change as a problem but I believe that more in-depth research should be
performed. I will use the way the author describes the effects of climate change on water access
and scarcity.
Vasilescu, M., & Rojanschi, V. (2010). Tap water vs. bottled water. Environmental Engineering
and Management Journal, 9(11), 1525-1530
The authors recognize the safety costs and views of the Romanian public about bottled
and tap water. I will agree with this source because many people have the same views about tap
water being of lesser quality than bottled water. I will use quotations and data found by these
authors about the views of tap water and data from the research they have performed.