Water Pour (© Photographer: Tracy Hebden | Agency: Dreamstime.com)

A study has found that bottled water contains many of the same contaminants as tap water. A report from the Associated Press states, “The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.”

Some time back we published an item on the trend toward serving tap water at some of America’s finest restaurants, including Incanto in San Francisco, Poggio in Sausalito, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Chez Panise now serves house-made sparkling water. The owners and chefs of many fine restaurants have decided that since bottled water requires great amounts of fossil fuels for production, packaging, and transportation, tap water is the sustainable choice.

The AP article quotes Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study, as saying, "In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better.” According to the article, “The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.”

One particular finding reported by AP was particularly disturbing:

The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.

If you’d like to read the AP article cited above as published by Yahoo! Green go to: Bottled water has contaminants too, study finds