Bottled or tap water? And which exactly?

We'd been buying bottled water, but the costs are adding up, and according to the EWG Bottled Water Scorecard report, most bottled water companies hide their sources and water reports... some are simply bottled tap water!

The EWG recommends filtering tap water. But there are many considerations, and you need to tailor the filtration type to the types of contaminants found in your water. Step by step:

1. Find out what's in your tap water

Search for you zip code on EWG's web site and get a list of contaminants in your water. My water, for example, is above the legal limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which are disinfection byproducts.

2. Check other safe water tips

Check out EWG's Guide For Safe Drinking Water. For example, I have a baby at home, and I found out that I need to make sure that the water I give to her is fluoride-free.

3. What are the levels of fluoride in my water?

I used Google for this one. If you live in California, you can look up the fluoridation levels on the CA Water Board website here. I found out that my city does fluoridate the water. This means I will need to use reverse-osmosis filter.

4. Find a water filter that works for the contaminants you need to get rid of

Once again, EWG comes to the rescue with their searchable database of tested water filters.



And... no results. Ouch! OK, how about just a plain carbon technology pitcher type filter? Bingo.

Clicking on the links, I find that PUR filters are certified to filter out more contaminants than most other filters:

 






But I was shocked to find out that many Brita and PUR filters are not certified by the California Department of Public Health. See the whole list of water filters that do not meet standards.

I finally went with a PUR dispenser from the list on EWG.

5. Find bottled water with no fluoride

Since carbon filters do not filter out fluoride,  and because I have a baby, I also need to find bottled water that contains no fluoride.

I'll send an update when I find info on bottled water fluoride levels.