Remember the drinking f0untain,that once ubiquitous,and
free,source of H2O It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is
everywhere. It’s refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier
than some tap water and a lot healthier than sugary sodas. But more and more,
people are questioning whether the water, and the package it comes .in, is safe,
or at least safer than tap water and if the convenience is worth the
environmental impact. Evocative names and labels depicting
pastoral scenes have convinced people that the liquid is the purest drink
around. Yes,some bottled water comes from sparkling springs and other pristine
(清新洁净) sources. But more than 25 percent of it comes from a municipal supply.
The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousand-fold increase
in price. Most people are surprised to learn that they’re drinking glorified tap
water, but bottlers aren’t required to list the source on the label.
The controversy isn’t simply about tap vs bottled water; most people
drink both, knowing the importance of plenty of water. What they may not know is
that some bottled water may not be as pure as they expect. In 1999 the Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of
water, which is the most recent major report on bottled water safety. While
noting that most bottled water is safe, the organization found that at least one
sample of a third of the brands contained bacterial or chemical contaminants,
including carcinogens(致癌物质) ,in levels exceeding state or industry standards.
Since the report, no major regulatory changes have been made and bottlers
haven’t drastically altered their procedures, so the risk is likely still
there. Besides, bottled water also affects the health of the
planet. A big part of the appeal of bottled water is those convenient
single-serving bottles. Yet fewer than 20 percent of them ever make it to a
second life, according to estimates by the Container Recycling Institute. The
rest are tossed onto beaches and roadsides and into landfills, where they could
be around for a thousand years. Nestle Waters and other bottlers are trying to
be greener, introducing lighter-weight bottles that use up to 30 percent less
plastic. It’s a good start, but more needs to be done. Nestle and some bottled water companies are trying to reduce the environmental impact by shifting to