Question

explain (and defend) your position on using bottled water. Include your reasons for and/or against using bottled water, and provide evidence and/or data for your decision-making, such as the benefits versus the potential negative consequences.

Answer 1

Usage of bottled water is driven by health and safety concern. With the rapid rate of increase of water borne diseases, a paradigm shift has been seen in consuming filter water available in bottles. However, the usage of bottled water at the time of crisis such as natural or artificial calamities, disease outbreak or while travelling is advisable but there are several obligations to its regular usage because of the following –

a) Presence of chemical material of which bottle is composed of – There are several cases in which bisphenol A, or BPA traces have been found in bottled water

b) Presence of contaminants – There have been reporting’s against the presence of contaminants in bottled water. In regular usage, if such water is consumed then it could lead to a disease outbreak in native area.

c) Lack of essential nutrient’s like fluoride in water bottle to assure stronger teeth and gums. In Australia, municipal corporations add fluoride in tap water as a way to encourage stronger teeth in children

d) Negative impacts on environment – Higher carbon footprints and issue of degrading plastic water bottles.

e) Cost of bottled water is higher than the tap or RO water at home.

Hence, I would say that in regular days, botelled water should not be consumed untill there is an emergency case.