The documentary Tapped is being featured in select cities.

“Tapped” is one of those movies that you should see but probably don’t want to, because of its “inconvenient truth” elements.  It is a documentary that exposes the health and environmental dangers of bottled water.

Some of the issues the movie takes on:

1. The health risks of Bisphenol-A, or BPA, the substance that is found in hard and clear plastics. 
2. The alarming growth of the North Pacific Garbage Patch, a stew of discarded bottles and other plastics that is twice the size of Texas, and located between California and Hawaii.
3. The presence of pharmaceuticals in bottled water.
4. The world water crisis that pits nations against each other in the competition for clean, safe water.
5. How corporate bottled water interests have exploited consumers and the environment.
6. The lack of government regulation of this huge industry.

Tapped is from the same producers who made “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “I.O.U.S.A.”  The documentary premiered July 12^th but is on limited release, and is still scheduled to play in many cities.  See the Tapped screening schedule or pre-order a DVD on the official Tapped movie site.

The makers of Tapped dedicate a page of their site to recommending the purchase and use of reusable bottles, particularly stainless steel water bottles and glass decanters.  They say they don’t feel comfortable using any type of plastic water bottle, even one that is certified BPA-free.

The water in plastic bottles may harbor toxic chemicals

It’s generally assumed that bottled water is better than tap water.  Actually, many times it is tap water.  Pepsi’s Aquafina is taken from municipal water supplies.  Dasani, a Coca Cola product, is tap water that’s had minerals like magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride added to it.  In the United Kingdom, Dasani had to be recalled due to contamination with bromate, a suspected carcinogen, produced by the treatment process used on the water.    

Even if the water is pure going into the plastic water bottle, it may not be pure coming out.  When certain plastics are exposed to warm temperatures, chemicals from the plastic may leach into the container’s contents.  Small amounts of chemicals from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles such as antimony – a toxin in large doses – can accumulate when water is stored in a hot garage or car trunk.

In a 4-year study that tested 1,000 bottles of plastic water, the National Resources Defense Council found that about 22% of the brands tested contained chemical contaminants at levels above state health limits.

On the other hand, if you refill your stainless steel water bottle with municipal tap water, then you can be sure it meets strict national and local water quality standards going into the bottle as well as coming out.  Food-grade stainless steel will not leach dangerous chemicals into the beverage.